accents magazine - issue 07
TRANSCRIPT
07The English Language Journal
for Baden-Württemberg
www.accents-magazine.de
November/December 2005
A guide to studying in English
Turning up: stags and hens in Stuttgart
Tuning up: orchestras in transition
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
accentsmagazine
Life long learning
3accents magazine
Germany’s education system
is said to be in a state of cri-
sis. International studies show
Germany is lagging behind
other countries in terms of
what its young people know
and how capable they are
of solving problems. More
teachers and more resources
are needed, say some. Others
argue the system is too infle-
xible, too resistant to change.
One area of education in
Baden-Württemberg which
certainly gives the lie to the
latter assertion is English-
language education.
Baden-Württemberg is the firststate in Germany to introducethe compulsory teaching ofEnglish (in some areas, French)
in the first grade of school.Beyond that, the opportunitiesfor learning or studying in theEnglish language, in south-westGermany, for people of all ages,have blossomed in recentyears.
We’ve put together a compi-lation of studying-in-Englishpossibilities available to resi-dents of Baden-Württemberg.We’ve covered pre-school,school and post-secondary-school study options. If you’vealways wondered where youmight find a bilingual kinder-garten or how you might up-grade your qualifications – andhow to do it in English – readour Feature story, beginning on page 10.
Much of our studying-in-Eng-
lish research led us to Heidel-berg – the city boasts twoEnglish-language universitiesand an international school. Ourerudite travel writer, ThomasRavel, became curious and decided to poke his nose intoHeidelberg’s business as well.Find out what he thinks of cycling on the city’s famouscobbled streets, on page 16.
Musicians from all over theworld are attracted to Stuttgartas a place where classicalmusic is appreciated by a know-ledgeable audience. But in anage of budget cuts, how muchlonger will the state continue to fund the city’s four full-timeorchestras? Arts editor, StuartMarlow, talks to a Scottish violinist and a Canadian French
horn player, among others,about fine music and state-sub-sidised arts.
Also, in this edition ofaccents, the success of Englishlibraries in Karlsruhe and Stutt-gart; a new home for the Ger-man-American centre in Frei-burg; how millions of Germanswill brush up on their English onNew Year’s Eve; why Americanideas of a snack don’t go downwell in German kindergartens;and what the English are sup-posed to do on Boxing Day.
Enjoy the holiday season,and a Happy New Year to you!
accents magazine editorial team
Editorial
1410 16 18
10 Live and let learn
A guide to English study in Baden-Württemberg
13 On-campus and
online study
5 Stag attractions
5 The legendary
Dinner for One
6 Tax advice for US citizens
7 Carl Schurz House moving
8 English libraries
blossoming
9 A Swede on the job
14 Orchestras in focus
Classical musicians and budget cuts
15 Book reviews
16 Heidelberg
Student city and tourist Mecca
18 An English author on tour
18 Books for kids
25 Money Matters
Student finance25 Stuttgart Tips
26 Kindergartens and schools
27 My Two Cents
Happy Holidays!
4 Letters
19 Classifieds
20 accents choice
What’s on listings22 accents guide
Clubs and contacts
Contents
Feature
Arts and Culture
accent on…
Children’s Corner
Good to Know
Labyrinth
Regulars
News and Events
English at Work
Cover photo: w
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ase.com
accents magazine Published by accents media GbR (Bryan Groenjes, Maki Kuwayama, Geoff Rodoreda) Libanonstraße 58, 70184 Stuttgart. Tel 0711 3102160, Fax 0711 3102161, [email protected] Editor Geoff Rodoreda, [email protected] Arts Editor Stuart MarlowCopy Editor Katharine Schmidt Photographer Chris Rynearson Contributors Toni Astle, Krysia Diver, Dagmar Fritz, Liz Gaiser, Jonathan Graham,Rebecca Perrin, Marty Potrop, Thomas Ravel, Steve Trevallion Advertising Enquiries Bryan Groenjes, [email protected]. WebmasterAndrew Golledge, [email protected] Website www.accents-magazine.de Graphic Design Brucklacher Visuelle Kommunikation,www.brucklacher.de Prepress CGS Möhrle, Vesoulerstraße 4, 70839 Gerlingen Cost free Published every two months Circulation 10,000 Distri-bution everywhere English is spoken: subscribing firms, cultural institutions, shops, pubs, clubs, theatres, hotels and selected tourist centresAdvertisers and Corporate Subscribers Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, Biddy Early’s Irish Pub, Carl Schurz Haus Freiburg, Children’s EnglishLibrary e.V., Corso Cinema International, Derpart Reisebüro, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum/James-F.-Byrnes Institut e.V., Dixon & Sondheim GbR,Ernst & Young AG, European School Karlsruhe, Expatica.com, Goethe-Institut, IKS Sprachschule, International School of Stuttgart e.V., MontessoriKindergarten Esslingen, Open University, Piccadilly English Shops, Robert Bosch GmbH, Schiller International University, SEB AG Stuttgart
Letters
to the Editor
Dear accents,
I was interested to read Sheila Steeb’s letter in the June/July/August issue about the use of the German word ‘Neger’. I waspleased to see that accents corrected Ms Steeb’s assumptionthat the word ‘Neger’ translates as ‘nigger’. Like Ms Steeb, I am also British, a person of colour, and have been living inStuttgart for some years. As accents pointed out, the word‘Neger’ is considered dated or politically incorrect in modern-day Germany. But it’s also true that racial terminology hastaken on a variety of meanings in recent years. The word ‘nig-ger’ has been adopted by some black communities as a wordof empowerment, especially in rap or hip-hop music. As a librarian, I know that Daniel Defoe, Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling all used racial language considered todayto be politically incorrect. Yet their writing enriches the mindsof people of all generations and racial backgrounds. Althoughwe may dislike certain words, we must strive to understand thecontext and time in which they are set, rather than eliminatethem altogether. Mark Lawrence, Stuttgart
Dear accents,
Regarding the article on Ulm (accents 06, p. 14-15) by ThomasRavel, I guess the proof reader missed the typo about Ulm’sfortress being ‘raised’ by French forces in 1800. That’s quite afeat. Please let your readers know the word should have been‘razed’. Congratulations on a great magazine!Bert Schnell, Ettenheim
Editor’s note: Mea culpa! In a last minute editorial rush, theUlm article was the only one in the last edition NOT to comeunder the eagle eye of our copy editor, who’d flown off to New York for a vacation. She’s back on the job for this edition.Thanks, Bert.
Dear editor,
I am writing in response to the article ‘Just call me’ (accents06, p. 22). You state that regarding telephone costs, stayingwith Deutshce Telekom might be preferable for expats living inBaden-Württemberg if one makes frequent long-distance callssince call-by-call features are not available with Alice, Versatel,or Arcor to name a few. This is no longer true. Our company,WebServiceCenter KG, has developed an Internet telephonesystem which allows calls to landlines anywhere in the world,and allows you to receive landline calls on your computer, orwireless phone if you have one, at your home or office. The prices for landline calls are about 30-60 % cheaper than call-by-call dialling through Telekom. Germany, sad to say, lags yearsbehind other countries in terms of innovations in this area butwe hope our product may be of interest to the mainly foreignreaders of accents. Daniel Deckert, Offenburg
Dear editor,
As 2005 draws to a close, I want to express once again howflabbergasted I am at the British Government’s decision to shutdown the consulates-general in Stuttgart and Frankfurt at theend of the year. I regard it as an another example of “BestBritish Bungle”, which sends the wrong message to Germanyand other European Union states. I really doubt, as the BritishAmbassador in Berlin says, that the interests of British citizensin southwest Germany can be effectively dealt with from Berlinor elsewhere. The consul-general in Stuttgart, Mark Twigg,does an excellent job here in Baden-Württemberg and the fruitsof his labours are being thrown down the drain. This closuredecision represents a serious failure on the part of the BritishGovernment to understand the influence and importance of provincial governments in the German federal system. It isshort-sighted and wrong.Kevin J. J. MacInerney-May, Starzach-Wachendorf
accents magazine4 Letters
accents magazine Libanonstraße 58 70184 [email protected]
Words of colour
Quick off the mark
Plugging in
Flabbergasted
For travel arrangements
worldwide contact
DERPART Reisebüro H. von WirthKönigstrasse 1 70173 StuttgartCaterina Steuer direct number 0711 [email protected] 0711 2289310
News and Events 5accents magazine
News and Events
By Krysia Diver
Whether we like it or not, Stuttgart’s beerhalls and pubs are becoming a prime hot-spot for the notorious British stag. Goneare the days when a groom-to-be would behandcuffed to a lamp post outside his localpub by his so-called mates. According tothe UK Foreign Office, around 70 per centof Britons now prefer to travel abroad forprenuptial celebrations. And what could bemore enticing than a night guzzling litres of beer, dancing and toasting every 15minutes at the Cannstatter Volksfest?
London’s Times newspaper recentlyreported that Stuttgart had been dubbedthis autumn’s “must-vomit” capital forstags and hens. Even the website Stags-andhens.com recommends Stuttgart’s beerfestival as a favourite destination in Europe.“This is stag-party heaven,” it states, refer-ring to the festival’s German folk bands andendless supply of beer.
Although young Brits abroad are renow-ned for binge-drinking and a tendency toend the night with a fight, they’ve so farbeen behaving themselves in Stuttgart. Far from being concerned, the city council’smarketing body, Stuttgart Marketing, isdelighted with the publicity the city is get-ting in the UK.
Spokeswoman Karin Storz, who playedhost to a group of British journalists at thisyear’s beer festival, said: “This seems tobe a very new experience for British peo-ple. The journalists from England were verysurprised at how peaceful the event was,despite the fact that everyone was drinkingand having fun. Perhaps it is simply be-cause the beer is better here!”
Following a Foreign Office survey re-vealing that many young British men andwomen are getting themselves into troubleabroad, new guidelines have now beenissued for stags and hens embarking ondrinking binges across the globe.
The “must-vomit” capital?
Stuttgart’s image in the UK
It is easily the most repeated program onGerman television. In fact, it’s officially the most repeatedly broadcast televisionproduction worldwide. Last year, a record15.6 million Germans switched on theirtelevisions on New Year’s Eve to watch itonce again. What’s amazing is that this 18-minute-long comedy sketch is in black-and-white, and it’s not even in German –it’s in English.
If you haven’t heard of “Dinner for One”you haven’t been living in Germany longenough. (Most Germans are surprised tolearn that very few native-English speakershave ever heard of the film.) Dinner forOne was filmed for German television in1963 and since 1972 has been broadcastevery year on New Year’s Eve, often re-peatedly on a number of regional televisionstations. It has developed a cult status inGermany and has become a traditional partof New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Dinner for One was written by English-man Lauri Wylie in the 1920s but it was the English actor and comic Freddy Frintonwho bought the rights to the sketch in1950-51, adapted it, and made it his own.Frinton plays a butler, James, who has toorganise yet another birthday party for his
boss, Miss Sophie (May Warden). This yearshe’s turning 90. As usual there’s lots offood to be eaten and lots of alcohol to bedrunk. And as usual the table has been setfor four guests. The trouble is they’re alldead and James has to run around thetable pretending to be each of the guests,downing their drinks and becoming moreand more inebriated in the process.
No one in German broadcasting woulddare consider putting German subtitles on the screen or (God forbid!) considerdubbing the film. It would be sacrilege.Germans want their “Dinner” served as originally cooked.
How and why this particular Englishcomedy sketch has come to occupy a placedeep in the hearts of the German public ishard to say. What can be said is that thetwo most oft-repeated lines in the sketchecho like a parody of the discussion that’sbeen going on in German households everyNew Year’s Eve since 1972, when the que-stion arises as to what one should watchon television:
“The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?
“The same procedure as every year, James.”
Same procedure as last year
The legendary Dinner for One
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Endless supplies of amber liquid in“stag-party heaven.”Stuttgart is gaining a name for itself in Britain.
accents magazine6 News and Events
Expat readers often ask about their
rights or responsibilities regarding taxes
while living in Germany. In the first part
of a special series, US tax advisor and
Tübingen resident Marty Potrop writes
about tax obligations for US citizens.
US citizens living and working abroad maybe under some misconceptions about theirtax obligations. The law is: “Every US citi-zen must file a tax return each year, repor-ting all ‘worldwide’ income.” In fact, theUS consulate in Düsseldorf has just issueda statement saying proof of the filing of a tax return is now required for renewingpassports. There are a few basic rules youshould be aware of in order to stay on theright side of the Internal Revenue Service(IRS), minimize your tax obligation, andbest position yourself for your financialfuture. First, taxes are nothing to get jitteryabout; US Tax Laws are complex but notimpenetrable. Of course, I would adviseyou to find a qualified, reliable tax advisor.(Which accountant wouldn’t!) Here aresome key tax issues to watch out for.
Form 2555
Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
I received an E-mail recently from anAmerican who’s been living in Germanysince 2001. He explained he hadn’t yetfiled a tax return, since he was earning lessthan $80,000 a year. Did he neverthelesshave to file something, he asked? It’s acommon mistake to think that if you earnless than 80K, you don’t have to file areturn. The fact is, to get the 80K tax ex-clusion you must file a 2555 Form for eachmissed year or you will owe taxes. Thegood news is that the IRS will accept a2555 Form for three prior years, with nopenalties or interest.
You haven’t received an IRS letter indi-cating you owe back taxes? Be patient, it is winding its way through a vast system.
Taxing advice
for US Citizens
Is there hope? The IRS is known to be forgiving and to accept payment plans. Theagency is more lenient if you approach itfirst, rather than vice versa.
Head-of-Household
Filing Status
You are married to a foreign national (aGerman, let’s say) and are not sure whatyou have to file? Notwithstanding that yourspouse pays taxes to the German autho-rities, you may be able to file a “Head-of-Household” return, if your child is yourdependent. The difference in filing statusmeans a higher standard deduction, trans-lating in 2004, for example, into $2300more in your pocket. Additionally, Head-of-Household status often increases the amount of Additional Child Tax Credit, acredit you receive even if you had no taxeswithheld.
Form 1116
Foreign Tax Credit
If you pay any type of tax, except sales orvalue added, to the German authorities youare entitled to receive a US tax credit byfiling a Form 1116. Also, if your spouse is a German national and pays additionaltaxes in Germany because of you, you may also be entitled to the Foreign Tax Credit.During Tax Year 2004, two of my clientseach qualified for the above-mentioned tax benefits. Neither had been aware thatthese rules applied to them. In one case,we amended the last three years’ returns,and my client received a refund of morethan $5000. In the second case, we areamending seven years of prior returns withan expected refund of more than $20,000.
Schedule E
Income from Residential Real Estate
Many of my clients have tenants who arepaying off a mortgage on a dream-homeback in the States, which they eventuallyhope to retire to. These clients are able towrite off their taxes AND write off round-trip expenses to the US once a year, just to view their property.
A final word of advice. Unless you’vetold them otherwise, the last state youlived in still thinks it is entitled to tax yourincome. This is an issue you should not fail to address!
Martin Potrop
(Professional Tax Advisor, MAOD, MSW,)
has worked as a tax advisor both for
H&R Block, and independently in the US
and Germany. Contact in Tübingen:
07071 968590 or [email protected]
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100 big ones: not filing a taxreturn could costyou dearly.
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accents magazine
CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS on the move
The CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS/Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Freiburg e.V. ismoving to a new location at the end ofthe year!
For over 40 years CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS/ DAI has been located at Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266, opposite the Holz-markt, near the old city centre. As of themiddle of December, we will be sayinggoodbye to the familiar and establishedresidence of the Institute – with a littlewistful nostalgia, yet in eager anticipa-tion of the new site.
In January 2006, CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS will open again in new, spaciousrooms located on the 3rd floor of thePost Office building at Eisenbahnstraße62, right next to the railway and mainroad access, with excellent public trans-portation links. There will be a widerchoice of English language courses for both adults and children, includingBusiness English for Early Birds, Englishfor Senior Citizens as well as courses for pre-school- and schoolchildren, forbilingual children and children’s courseswith music and art.
There’ll also be a new, better-equip-ped library, with a special area for child-
ren and teenagers (“Kids’ Corner”) andadditional PC workstations with accessto the Internet and to the EBSCO Peri-odical Database with 3000 titles from allacademic disciplines.
In the future, there will be moreevents in the CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS: artexhibitions, lectures and readings, regu-lar business luncheons of the German-American business community, work-shops and multimedia presentations.
On Saturday January 28, 2006, we’llbe celebrating our “Opening Day” withGerman and American guests, includingthe director of the Amerika Haus Frank-furt. There will be live music, a photo-graphic exhibition (Images of the DeepSouth) and a slide show (New York –City Images.) Of course, we will alsooffer information about our new lang-uage courses and program of events.
The CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS team inFreiburg looks forward to welcoming youto our new premises with both our tried-and-tested and our new English programoptions.
Written for accents by the
CARL-SCHURZ-HAUS, Freiburg
Oettinger, the English speaker
Premier a surprise guest
The looks of surprise on everyone’s faceswere hard to conceal. In the middle of alunch-time discussion, in English, aboutStuttgart’s international partnerships, inmarched the highest political official in
Baden-Württemberg to casually take a seatat the table. Premier Günther Oettinger had been invited to the event, the “70173:English Spoken Stammtisch,” somemonths before. But organisers didn’t holdout much hope that in the middle of thefederal election campaign the CDU politi-cian would find much time to sit down for a casual English discussion with around 30 people, a few of whom were not evenvoters.
The 70173 Stammtisch is a commen-dable non-partisan political initiative, whichwas set up by a group of Baden-Württem-berg politicians and senior bureaucrats whowanted to practise speaking English once a month over lunch. It’s not a languageclass, there’s no formal agenda, there’s no membership, and there are no rules orregulations. The level of English ability,which ranges from passable to excellent, is irrelevant. The idea is simply to practiselistening to and speaking in English, on atopic raised by a guest speaker.
Oettinger didn’t disappoint. His Englishwas by no means excellent but he pressedon in clear, measured tones about the poli-tical challenges facing Germany, resistingthe temptation to succumb to using a Ger-
News and Events 7
man word as his memory searched for, andeventually found, an English one. It was allin keeping with the spirit of the event. ThePremier must enjoy the company of English speakers, because some weeks later heaccepted an invitation to speak at a BritishChamber of Commerce in Germany func-tion. Perhaps he’s simply seeking to provethat Baden-Württembergers prefer speak-ing English more than Hochdeutsch (highGerman)!
Confident speakerof English: Baden-Württemberg’sPremier, GüntherOettinger, secondfrom left.
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merce in G
ermany
accents magazine8 News and Events
English libraries in Stuttgart and Karls-
ruhe are becoming increasingly popular.
Not only do they provide opportunities
for both adults and children to borrow
English-language books, they are con-
venient meeting places for expats. Steve
Trevallion reports.
In the beginning, there were no more thana few donated books in a dank, dark cellar.Four years later and 6500 English-languagebooks richer, the Children’s English Library(CEL) is fast becoming a Stuttgart institu-tion.
“We now have around 100 families as members and cater to more than 150 kids,” says Pam Grimes, CEL chairperson.“The library is not only a resource for readers but also an institution which offersexpats and people interested in the Englishlanguage a meeting place. We also have a program of English reading and writingcourses for kids and we run craft, poetry,play-acting and storytelling workshops forchildren of all ages.”
The library officially opened in 2001 but it was in 1997 that seven determinedEnglish-speaking mothers first met to talk about offering their children access
English libraries
blossoming
to English-language books. They started raising money, began collecting books, and established a non-profit organization, a Verein. They found rooms, in need ofrenovation, on the basement floor of theEtzel Villa in Etzelstraße, Stuttgart. Dozensof volunteers pitched in over countlessweekends to knock down walls, put in new floors, shelves, heating, plumbing andlighting. The walls were painted and deco-rated.
Step inside the library nowadays and yousee the most boisterous of children sittingpeacefully, looking at books while theirparents relax and chat in the coffee area.The library is open to both native and non-native English speakers, three days aweek: Tuesdays from 4-6 pm, Fridays from3-6 pm and on Saturdays from 2-5 pm.(During school holidays it’s open only onTuesdays.) It functions because of the hardwork and energy of its board and a band of volunteers.
“The wonderful thing about the CEL isthat in a multi-cultural city like Stuttgart, it is keen to embrace families of all natio-nalities,” says CEL Honorary Patron, MarkTwigg, who’s the British Consul-General inBaden-Württemberg. “By constantly addingto its services it not only provides excellentopportunities for children but also forparents who meet there.”
Meanwhile, the future of the KarlsruheAmerican Library appears brighter. Asaccents reported earlier this year, the library was facing possible closure by the
city government. However plans are nowbeing drawn up for new premises closer to the city centre. “Our membership is continuing to grow,” says Karen Adams-Rischmann, chairperson of the Friends ofthe American Library. “We hope that withthe move to the heart of the city, localinstitutions will take more notice of theimpact we have on the community.”
The Karlsruhe American Library stocksmore than 40,000 books, CDs, tapes,videos, magazines, and newspapers, andhas become a key meeting point for Eng-lish speakers in the city. The City Councilprovides funding for one professional librarian, but the institution survives thanksto the work of more than 30 volunteer staff members.
Buying good quality English books foryour school and helping your school outfinancially at the same time – that’s theprincipal reason many schools choose to purchase their English reading booksfrom CLiC, the Children’s Literary Circle(or KLiK, Kinder Literatur Kreis.) CLiC isa private company set up by two found-ing members of the Children’s EnglishLibrary in Stuttgart, Liz Hawighorst andMaki Kuwayama. But it is a private com-pany with a social conscience; a fixedpercentage of all profits from book salesare donated to schools or to children’sreading projects. CLiC also offers lec-tures about books, as well as English-language book readings and storytellingsessions, conducted by native Englishspeakers, as part of its service. It alsosells German books. It’s an unusual con-
cept born out of a love of literature anda desire to see children develop a loveof reading.
“There are so many new and excitingbooks, both English and German, beingpublished out there, to suit all kinds ofreading tastes,” says CLiC’s third part-ner Nicola Volland. “We work togetherwith publishing houses in Germany, theUK, and the USA and know what’s onthe market. Our aim is really to get kidsto read and to help schools with thatgoal.”
Note: accents magazine is a business
partner of CLiC and supports its
community service goals. For further
information about CLiC contact:
CLiC
Life after starting a library
Fiction and non-fiction books for 0-16 yearolds, Books on tape/CD, English Games,Listen In readings for 3-6 year olds, Rhyme Time, Workshops, English Classes,and much more…
For opening times and further details see our website www.celstuttgart.de
Children’s English LibraryEtzelstraße 25-27, 70180 StuttgartTel 0711 3582215, [email protected]
Story reading timeat the Children’sEnglish Library,Stuttgart.
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English at Work
English at Work 9accents magazine
Accents’ recent Readership Survey
revealed our readership is composed of
people from 18 different countries. Many
are non-native speakers of English who
use English in their jobs. We meet one
of them who hails from a land to the far
north.
It’s not only foreigners from English-spea-king countries who find Sundays puzzling in Germany. Thomas Holmberg has niceneighbours. But when the Swedish bankerand his wife were spotted pulling weeds in the front garden two Sundays in a row,they were politely informed that you don’twork on Sundays in Germany – not evenfor pleasure in your own garden.
Germany took some getting used to, but after nearly three years Holmberg feelssettled in – and his English has improvedimmensely. Thomas Holmberg is one of the many thousands of foreigners whocome to southwest Germany to live andwork whose strongest foreign language isEnglish, not German, and who find they areusing English on the job more often thanthey thought they would.
Scandinavians are generally renownedfor their excellent grasp of English, whichthey begin learning in primary school.Thomas Holmberg is no exception. As theSEB bank Regional Manager for southernGermany, the big, jovial Swede banters andjokes easily in English. “I did study Germanin school in Sweden but it was a minor lan-guage and I didn’t really use it afterwards.Now I’m having to play catch-up.”
After his schooling, Holmberg studiedeconomics at Stockholm University. He’sbeen employed at the Swedish-based bank since 1981 but his current posting toGermany is his first overseas job with thebank. He concedes that he was not happywhen he was first offered a position inGermany – partly because of the difficultyof the language. “I had been looking forward to a posting to the Baltic region.These are dynamic new markets where Iwould have no problem getting by in thebusiness world with English. It was mywife who made the difference. She imme-diately said of Germany, ‘That’s a goodidea.’ And now I’m really glad we came.”
Two of the Holmbergs’ three children areschool-aged, and have moved to Germanywith their parents. The couple were wor-ried about how their Swedish-speaking kids would cope with English, the languageof instruction at the international schoolthey’re enrolled in. But as Holmberg hasdiscovered, the younger children are, themore capable they are of learning new languages. “My youngest one, who’s 10,now speaks to me at home in English. He’s providing me with language practice!”
The language of banking
Holmberg’s job at SEB involves lookingafter the bank’s 52 branches in the sou-
thern part of Germany. “When I visit mybranches I find that most of the managersspeak a bit of English. Otherwise I get by with my gradually-improving German.” The experienced banker finds no majordifferences between ways of doing busi-ness in Sweden and Germany. “Swedishand German banking regulations are ob-viously different,” he says. “But in the end you’re dealing with figures, numbers,and accounts, and they are a common lan-guage.” However, Holmberg does noticedifferences between conducting businessdiscussions in English and in German. “I would say that English is a language thatallows you to get on with people in busi-ness within a shorter space of time. Youdon’t have the formal and informal ‘Sie’and ‘Du’ in English. Nor do we have it inSwedish. And you can cut a lot quicker to first names in English – as we do inSwedish. Although in Swedish we do have a sort of formal and informal way ofaddressing people based on using firstnames and nicknames. The nickname isonly used by good friends or someone youknow very well.”
So what skills does an English-speakingSwede bring to the hard-nosed world ofGerman banking that give him an edge overhis competitors? The skills, he says, of providing good customer service. Holmbergargues that banks operating in Germanydon’t have much room to compete when itcomes to interest rates and the fees theycharge customers – there are slight diffe-rences, but in general they are all much the same. What foreign banks like SEBhave brought to the banking environment,he says, is a new way of focussing on theneeds of the customer.
“If one of your customers has a com-plaint about the bank – even if you as amanager think it’s frivolous – you’ve got totake it seriously. You’ve got to realize thatmany other customers are probably experi-encing the same problem and you’ve got toact to deal with the complaint. We expectour staff to act accordingly, and our busi-ness is expanding in southwest Germany.Good customer service plays an importantrole in our business.”
The Scandinavian experience
Come to Germany, improve your English
Swedish banker,Thomas Holmberg,finds that his Eng-lish has improvedimmensely inGermany, while hisGerman graduallygets better.
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Feature
accents magazine10 Feature
It may be because your German-language
skills or your children’s German-language
skills are not good enough to study in
the German education system. It may be
that you are German and you want to
give your kids a bilingual German-English
education. It may be that you simply
want to obtain your Master of Business
Administration in the world’s lingua
franca. Whatever the reason, Baden-
Württemberg is full of English-language
study opportunities. Accents presents an
exclusive English Language Study Guide,
in three parts: pre-school, school and
post-secondary-school.
Pre-school options
Introducing pre-school children to English – through games, songs and stories – isbecoming a regular part of the programs ofmany German kindergartens. Some kinder-gartens have gone a step further and intro-duced bilingual, German-English programs.Following are some examples. Note: manyinternational (English-language) schools inBaden-Württemberg also offer pre-schoolcare. See School Education listings fordetails.
EducCare Kindertagesstätte
Stuttgart-West
Hasenbergstraße 31/2
70178 Stuttgart
Tel 0711 6581447
info@ educcare.de
www.educcare.de
A bilingual (German-English) full-day-carecentre for children aged 6 months to 6years. Each of the four care-groups has oneteacher who speaks German and one whospeaks exclusively English to the children.
International Montessori
Kindergarten e.V. Esslingen
Sulzgrieser Straße 114
73733 Esslingen
Tel 0711 93150510
www.montessori-esslingen.de
A bilingual German-English kindergarten(7:30 am to 1:30 pm, offering a hot lunch)which accepts children aged 3-6. Currently25 children with two teachers and an assistant.
Oberlin Kinder Universität Freiburg
Am Mühlbach 13
79114 Freiburg
Tel 0761 85648
www.oberlinkinderuniversitaet.de
A German-English day-care centre whichhas existed since 1992.
School education
Baden-Württemberg has a number of inter-national schools and other private institu-tions offering primary (or elementary) andsecondary school education in English.They are costly, compared to German state-run schools, but they offer a quality school-ing alternative for many children, particular-ly those who’ve already completed someyears of English-language schooling else-where. We offer a short description andcontact details for each school.
Black Forest Academy
Postfach 1109, 79400 Kandern
Tel 07626 91610
www.bfacademy.com
A private residential Christian school, with365 students, providing both elementaryand secondary education with a NorthAmerican university-entrance curriculum.Preference is given to children of mission-
Live and let learn
Studying in English in Baden-Württemberg
English-speaking “Kindi”
The Montessori experience
Language experts tell us the earlier youintroduce a child to a foreign language,the easier it is for them to learn it. ManyGerman kindergartens are therefore keento have children sing songs or playgames in the world’s lingua-franca, Eng-lish. But a small kindergarten in Esslingenhas taken this idea a step further. Its predominant language of instruction isnot German, but English.
The privately run Montessori Kinder-garten in Esslingen-Sulzgries has morethan 20 children of eight different natio-nalities. It aims to provide a carefully-
planned, stimulating, German- andEnglish-language environment to helpchildren develop creative learning skills.
Montessori education got its start in1907 with Dr. Maria Montessori, the firstwoman in Italy to become a physician. It emphasises allowing children to learnat their own, individual pace and accor-ding to their own choice of activities.
Esslingen’s Montessori kindergarten has a ‘sensory area’, allowing children to discover the world through all five senses. A ‘language area’ is designed to prepare children to read and write in
both English and German. There’s also a mathematics area, where children playgames using a variety of materials to helpthem learn addition and subtraction.
Once a year, in May, the kindergartenorganises an ‘International Week’ duringwhich children dress up in traditional national costumes and partake of a widerange of national dishes. The kindergartenwelcomes inquiries on enrolments, particularly from native-English speakingchildren.
By Michelle Anderson
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Feature 11accents magazine
aries. Most students are North American,but 16 nationalities are represented.
European School Karlsruhe
Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 1
76139 Karlsruhe
Tel 0721 680090
[email protected], www.eskar.org/en
Founded in 1962, offering mother-tongueeducation in five different languages(Dutch, English, French, German andItalian) from kindergarten up to EuropeanBaccalaureate level for around 1200 pupilsfrom a wide variety of European and otherbackgrounds.
Heidelberg International School
Wieblinger Weg 9, 69123 Heidelberg
Tel 06221 7590600
[email protected], www.hischool.de
An independent day school, currently with80 pupils at primary and middle-schoollevel, intended for students between fourand, eventually, 18 years of age. (Highergrades are being added as older studentsprogress through high school.) The curri-culum is international. German is taught toall students. It also has an early learningcentre for 4-5 year olds.
International School
Kreuzlingen-Konstanz
Hauptstraße 27
8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Tel 0041 71672 2727
[email protected], www.iskk.ch
Now in its second year of operation, situated in the Swiss border town of Kreuz-lingen, also catering to children across the border in Baden-Württemberg. Offersclasses from nursery (age 3) up to grade 6following the Primary Years Programme(PYP) of the International BaccalaureateOrganisation.
International School of Stuttgart e.V.
Sigmaringer Straße 257
70597 Stuttgart-Degerloch
Tel 0711 7696000
www.international-school-stuttgart.de
A private, non-profit institution (Verein)founded in 1985. More than 500 studentsfrom around 30 different nations, ranging in age from 3 to 18 years. Although the language of instruction is English (Inter-national Baccalaureate program), German is taught to all students. Those for whomEnglish is a second language receive spe-cial tutoring. An additional satellite schoolin Sindelfingen was opened in August2003. It offers kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3.
International School Ulm/Neu-Ulm
Beyerstraße 45, 89077 Ulm
Tel 0731 3793530
[email protected], www.is-ulm.de
An all-day school that opened in Septem-ber, 2005. Currently with around 50 pupilsat pre-school and elementary school level.More grades to be added as children progress and the student body grows.
Salem International College
Kurt-Hahn-Straße 1
88662 Überlingen
Tel 07553 9190
www.salemcollege.de
A bilingual boarding school on the northernarm of Lake Constance which also acceptsday students. It offers upper high school(Years 10-12) English-language instructionleading to an International Baccalaureate.The German section has 500+ students,the English section around 130 students.
Post-school study
There are many universities and colleges inBaden-Württemberg that allow you to studyin English to obtain a diploma, a bachelor’sor master’s degree, or a number of other
recognised qualifications. These institutionsare generally not part of the German publiceducation system, but private colleges oruniversities and therefore charge tuitionfees. Prices vary, however, from institutionto institution and from course to course. In some cases, students are eligible forgovernment study grants. In many cases,employers are prepared to pay the costs oftuition. Study options can roughly be divi-ded into two categories: on-campus study,where you attend regular classes (some-times on weekends or outside of workinghours) in a building with other students;and distance learning, in which study mate-rials are sent to you and, with the aid ofthe Internet, you can study from home. Itmust be said that many universities all overthe world now offer distance educationprograms. However, in preparing the follo-wing listing, we’ve deliberately concentra-ted on institutions with a Baden-Württem-berg or south German base.
On-campus options
European School of Business
Alteburgstraße 150, Reutlingen
Tel 07121 2713023
www.esb-reutlingen.de
A German business school, based at theReutlingen Hochschule (college or univer-sity), offering a one-year-long Master ofScience in International Management, enti-rely in English.
International University in Germany
Campus 3, Bruchsal
Tel 07251 7000, www.i-u.de
Founded in 1997, the IU focuses on infor-mation technology studies and informationtechnology management. It has twoschools (Information Technology and Busi-ness Administration) and a Department ofSciences and the Liberal Arts. Half of theIU’s students are German, the rest comefrom 30 different countries.
Jens Steffen is a 21-year-old trainee
manager from Leicestershire, UK. He
lives and works in Baden-Württem-
berg. Although he has a German name
thanks to his father, up until now he
hasn’t learnt any German.
“When I was introduced by colleagues as Jens Steffen, the other party instantlystarted talking to me in German. Thiscaused problems, as I couldn’t say any-thing back until my colleagues explainedthat I was English and didn’t understandany German apart from das Fenster.”That was part of the reason he decidedto improve his ‘conversation skills’ inGerman.
Steffen works for a medium-sizedcompany which produces drilling equip-ment in Weinheim, a town near Heidel-berg. But he starts every workday at theGoethe-Institut Mannheim-Heidelberg,where he is studying German. His com-pany pays for his intensive language course. In his class, 10 students from allover the world study together. Some arepreparing to enrol at a German univer-sity, and others work for German com-panies or have German partners.
Steffen says he chose the Goethe-
Institut because his mother studiedGerman years ago at one of the Goethe-Institut’s 144 locations worldwide. TheGoethe-Institut has 50 years of experi-ence in cultural exchange and languageteaching. It is the official partner of theGerman Federal Foreign Office. Steffensays he profits from living in Germanybecause experiencing different cultures is an essential element in his career.
In Baden-Württemberg there arethree Goethe-Institut locations: Freiburg(Tel 0761 386710, E-mail: [email protected]), Mannheim-Heidelberg (Tel 0621 833850, E-mail: [email protected]) and Schwäbisch Hall (Tel 0791 978870, E-mail: [email protected]). Each offers a variety ofGerman language courses, at all levels,designed to match individual needs. AsJens Steffen puts it, one of the plusesof his Mannheim course is that “timegoes by fast in a brilliant atmosphere.”
This article was written for accents
by Eva Schmitt and Robert Sobotta,
Goethe-Institut Mannheim-Heidelberg.
For (English-language) information
about German courses:
www.goethe.de/dll/enindex.htm
Studying German at the Goethe-Institut
“Time goes by very fast”
accents magazine12 Feature
What can The Open Universitydo for you?
It can give you a BA/BSc degree, MA,MSc, MBA, Diploma or Certificate. But just as important, it opens up anew world of interests, challenges andachievements. The Open Universityoffers a choice of 199 courses whichare taught in English. And providedyou’re over 18 and resident in theEuropean Union, you’re eligible. No previous qualifications are requiredfor most undergraduate courses. Over 2 million people have studiedwith The Open University. For furtherinformation please contact MatthewHawkes on the email below – please quote reference code DEFASB.
email: [email protected]
Schiller International University
Bergstraße 106, Heidelberg
Tel 06221 45810, www.schiller.edu
Schiller is an American accredited institu-tion, founded in 1964, with a Heidelbergbase as well as campuses in six othercountries. It offers programs in the fields ofbusiness, economics, international relationsand management. Thirty percent of stu-dents are German, 25 percent are Ameri-can, the rest are from other countries.
Stuttgart Institute of
Management and Technology
Filderhauptstraße 142, Stuttgart
Tel 0711 4510010, www.uni-simt.de
An international business school set upjointly by the Universities of Stuttgart,Hohenheim and Tübingen. It was foundedin 1998 and offers postgraduate Master of Business Administration programs, inEnglish, which are fully recognized byGerman educational authorities. Its focus is technology and innovation managementas well as international management.
Troy University, Heidelberg
Vangerowstraße 18/1, Heidelberg
Tel 06221 868100, www.troyuniversity.de
Linked with the Alabama DevelopmentOffice, USA, the Heidelberg campus of thisAmerican university is the newest of 58
locations worldwide. It offers a Master ofBusiness Administration and an ExecutiveMaster of Business Administration.
Distance education options
Open University
Germany (south) office
Tel 089 66086583 Matthew Hawkes
www.open.ac.uk
A British institution – a pioneer of distancelearning – with around 180,000 students,25,000 of them outside the UK. Offers arange of study options in the fields of thehumanities, science, law, languages andbusiness. Graduate and post-graduatedegrees.
University of Southern Queensland
European Centre
Carl-Benz-Straße 2, Bretten
Tel 07252 97750 Martin Steinbüchel
www.usq-bretten.de
An Australian university with a EuropeanCentre information office situated nearKarlsruhe. Offers a full range of accreditedcertificate, diploma and degree programs atthe undergraduate and postgraduate levels.USQ has five faculties: Arts, Business/Commerce, Education, Engineering andSurveying, and Science.
Schiller by name …
On-campus study: an example
Schiller International University in
Heidelberg has been awarding degrees
within a US-based academic framework
since the 1960s. It has other university
locations in the U.S.A., the U.K., Spain,
Switzerland and France. Thirty percent of
its students are German and 25 percent
are American; the rest come from all over
the world to study in English in Heidel-
berg. Jonathan Graham spoke with
Campus Director Thomas Leibrecht about
studying at Schiller.
What’s special about your program?
Schiller University provides students withan international environment and offersdegrees in the American academic struct-ure. By studying in English, our studentshave a strong career advantage when theybegin working for global companies.
How is the American system different
from the German system?
The American system of higher education,especially in business, focuses on generalpreparedness and broad academic know-ledge across a range of business topics. In German institutions there is strong specialization in a specific area of business;they even specialize in particular industries.The American approach provides studentswith a foundation for a wider variety of jobsand allows more flexibility in their careers.
In Germany, higher education is basically
free. Why would German students pay
to attend an American-based university?
For 40 years now, various studies in Ger-many have shown that paying to receive aneducation from Schiller is an investment.By investing in their education, our stu-dents work to get the most out of it. Ourprogram consistently meets the demandsof German students and more than 80% of our graduates obtain jobs within a fewmonths of graduation. Also, because students pay for their tuition we have acustomer-service orientation. A 2004 studyof 100 different European MBA (Master of Business Administration) programs, con-ducted by the University of Applied Sciencein Eberswalde, ranked Schiller Universitythird in providing quality customer service.
Why is an MBA becoming more attractive
in Germany?
An American MBA covers several areas of business including finance, humanresources and marketing. It offers a greaterdegree of flexibility than the German equivalent, a Diplom-Kaufmann, which is adegree with a narrow specialization in theend. In addition, we tailor our programs tomeet the students’ needs, including theneeds of working professionals, by offeringMBA courses in the day, in the evenings,on weekends and online. What’s also verydifferent from the German system: classattendance is mandatory.
Schiller University
www.siu-heidelberg.de
Feature 13accents magazine
… Open by nature
Distance education: an example
Studying for a degree or a post-graduatequalification from the comfort of your ownhome, with the aid of an online computer,is becoming an increasingly attractive option for many people living in Baden-Württemberg. The Open University (OU) isjust one of a number of higher educationinstitutions, specialising in so-calledDistance Education. Based in the UK, theOU is one of the pioneers of distance lear-ning. It currently has around 180,000 stu-dents; 25,000 of them live outside the UK.Nearly all students are studying part-time.About 70 per cent of undergraduate stu-dents are in full-time employment. Morethan 50,000 students are sponsored bytheir employers for their studies. Theadvantage of the OU system is that youcan complete a course of study in stages,choosing when you want to begin a new subject as time and finances allow. And it
offers a broad range of study options in the fields of the humanities, science, law,languages and business. It uses a variety of media to help you study, includingbooks, videos, CD-ROMs and the Internet.The university itself is ranked among thetop UK universities for the quality of its teaching. The OU also offers a range ofquality business diplomas, degrees and aMaster of Business Administration throughits Open University Business School.
Open University
southern Germany representative:
www.open.ac.uk
OU Business School
southern Germany representative:
www.oubs.open.ac.uk
Arts and Culture
Musicians and directors worldwide cast
an envious eye upon Germany as one
of the last major bastions of subsidized
orchestras and ballet companies. Stutt-
gart, for example, has four full-time
orchestras. But how long will public fun-
ding last at the current level? Arts Editor
Stuart Marlow talks to native English-
speaking musicians about challenges
facing the arts and integrating into
German society.
The Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra isenjoying a new lease of life under the vigorous artistic direction of Gabriel Feltz,whose original and not uncontroversialinterpretations of traditional orchestral pieces have raised quite a few eyebrows.For the Stuttgart Philharmonic this is anexciting time.
Toronto-born French Horn musician CarlaGoldberg joined the Philharmonic in 1982.She was impressed with Stuttgart whenshe first saw the cityscape from the trainand she’s been impressed with the supportprovided by Stuttgart and Baden-Württem-berg to promote access to orchestral musicfor a broad section of the population.
“Stuttgart is still pretty unique in itslevel of support for classical music. Buttimes are changing. By the year 2000,Stuttgart’s orchestras were no longer ableto go on tour as often as they had in thepast. Yet touring is really a key feature ofany orchestra’s program. Orchestras and
international ensembles are very multi-cultural. They reach out to people. They aregreat advertisements for tolerance, under-standing and co-operation … Finding cor-porate sponsorship for orchestral activity is now vital if we are going to keep Stutt-gart on the international orchestral map.”
All those involved in orchestral musicare acutely aware that pop music has beensteadily pushing classical forms of musicever further to the margins of cultural life.Leading politicians in Germany, the UK, theUS and elsewhere have embraced the rockguitar rather than take a seat at the operahouse. Thirty years ago this would havebeen unheard of. Learning an orchestralinstrument is time-consuming and expen-sive. Although classical music in Germanyremains an icon of traditional middle-classculture, only around five percent of theGerman population still attends classicalconcerts on a regular basis, and most ofthe audience tends to be over forty yearsof age. This provides orchestras with achallenge, says Goldberg.
“The Stuttgart Philharmonic is for me‘The Orchestra of the Common Man’. We do not want popular access to ‘highculture’ to die. Right now we are enjoyingpretty solid audience support. But we haveto identify and train our future audiences,to reach out to young people in particular.”
The shift towards sponsorship-driven arts funding need not be seen as a disaster.Despite the fact that the UK, for example,
has lost a number of orchestras there hasbeen no high-culture meltdown. The com-bination of lottery funding, governmentgrants and vigorous sponsorship is keepingthe arts alive. The City of Leeds, for ex-ample, is currently reconstructing a late-Victorian opera house. BBC Radio has suc-cessfully launched campaigns to popularizeclassical music in British schools. In Baden-Württemberg there is still a healthyinterest in classical music but the fact isthat young middle-class Germans no longerautomatically gravitate towards it.
The importance of touring
Iain McPhail, a Scotsman, is a violinist with the internationally acclaimed ChamberOrchestra. Being much more compact, itstouring costs are lower than those of theStuttgart Philharmonic. McPhail, like CarlaGoldberg, believes the value of orchestraltours should not be underestimated. Anorchestra’s image at home, as well asticket sales, is considerably boosted by asuccessful tour.
“We should continue to remind our-selves – and emphasize to the public – thatthe Chamber Orchestra on tour has been a wonderful ambassador for Baden-Würt-temberg. We have built up a tremendous reputation across Europe, Asia, and theAmericas. There’s a profound appreciationfor what is being done for the arts here.”
In the 1980s and 90s classical music
Staying in tune
English influences on classical music
accents magazine14 Arts and Culture
became popular via the use of jet-settingcelebrities. This ‘Pavarotti syndrome’ didhelp boost concert audience figures butwith the advent of cheap digital recordingand online downloads, the financial positionof orchestras became seriously undermined– in the West, at least, orchestras hadalways been able to command high feesand exclusive recording contracts.
McPhail describes the current set ofpressures facing orchestras as thus: “Sincethe fall of the Berlin Wall, we’ve had largenumbers of high-quality East Europeanorchestras pouring into German concerthalls and touring Europe. The market hasbecome saturated. On top of this you havehigh fees paid to ‘maestros’, the loss oflucrative recording contracts, and publicspending cuts.”
Variety, the spice of life
Having just retired after a long career as a director with the Stuttgart State Opera,another Scotsman, Gordon McKechnie,regrets the fact that budget cuts haveresulted in fewer musical maestros visitingBaden-Württemberg.
“Orchestras and opera companies haveindeed cut down on celebrity guests; theyhave become too expensive for many. Butthis is a real pity. Opera companies do thrive on the combination of musical anddramatic art. The more the companies rely on a resident ensemble, the less wecan provide a vital element of exchange.When a gifted guest performer arrives, theensemble has to adapt and react, oftenspontaneously, to a new challenge. Guest
performers can be a source of inspirationfrom outside and of course they’re oftenpeople who have great talent.”
McKechnie enjoyed a great deal of artistic freedom at the Stuttgart Opera.This reflects the dynamic marriage of thetraditional and the modern which is Stutt-gart’s cultural hallmark. His work broughthim into contact with a cross-section offamous figures, including American directorRobert Wilson and the English composerBenjamin Britten. McKechnie says theworld of opera in Stuttgart stands in con-trast to the more rigid traditionalism oftenfound in Munich and Vienna.
“There is great diversity here. Stuttgartaudiences are very heterogeneous. I haveexperienced really lively premieres of inno-vative work in Stuttgart, where the majorityof the audience has given a loud standingovation, but where some hard-line traditio-nalists have booed. This kind of disharmonyis dynamic. This is what makes Stuttgartsuch an important and vibrant location.There is the courage and support for newapproaches and there are audiences whocontinue to appreciate this. I’ve also experi-enced this appreciation for new approachesin Baden-Baden and indeed in Balingen,where I was working on Aida.”
Social integration
How do musicians from English-speakingcountries feel about their integration intoGerman society? Carla Goldberg and herGerman partner, also a musician, have hadpositive experiences socializing within andoutside of the orchestral scene.
Arts and Culture 15accents magazine
“There are opportunities to make friendswith people from many different back-grounds here. Although being here so longhas had a strange effect on my use of language. Talking to Germans in Germanand English to people whose first languageisn’t English you develop a strange kind of‘Denglish.’ When I go home to Toronto,people are seriously puzzled by some ofthe weird expressions I come up with.”
Working at the Opera House has helpedGordon McKechnie keep in touch with aclose-knit international group of people. “It’s a privilege to have such a varied life.And it’s not just Stuttgart; I also find that in smaller towns around the state peopleare very supportive of your work, once youhave broken the ice. Most Swabians wel-come social exchange with people fromother nations and cultures.”
Integration varies, of course, from indivi-dual to individual. Some international musi-cians who come to Baden-Württembergfeel that beyond the world of music andtheatre, the locals may not always be theeasiest people to form close relationshipswith. Iain McPhail has this view:
“Glasgow, my hometown, remains a special place for me. Glaswegians arevery open and lively people. I have not lostmy roots at all, even after 25 very creativeyears in Stuttgart. Stuttgarters on thewhole tend to be very reserved. Here youcan make lots of good friends from variouscultures. I do feel however that, beyondthe orchestral circle, newcomers – inclu-ding those from other areas of Germany –can tend to remain on the fringes of Baden-Württemberg society.”
A time for gorging
Book reviews
Since feasting is part of the round of
Christmas activities, we’ve chosen to
review two books dealing with cooking,
one of which leaves an unsavory taste in
the mouth. Our third book is a thriller.
Typhoid Mary by Anthony Bourdain
Bloomsbury, 148 pages
As the premier chef of New York’sBrasserie Les Halles restaurant, Bourdainhas written a well-researched, enter-taining tale of non-fiction about an early20th Century cook, Mary Mallon, whounwittingly became a killer. Mary was atyphoid carrier who did not suffer fromthe symptoms of the disease, but infec-ted others through her cooking. Writtenin a matter-of-fact, unquestionably NewYork style, this book describes the hardships faced by cooks and their over-bearing patrons. As the Department ofHealth closes in on Mary, you can’t helpbut develop some sympathy for her.
How to Eat: The Pleasures
and Principles of Good Food
by Nigella Lawson
Random House UK, 526 pages
If the adventures of Typhoid Mary haveconvinced you of the need to cook foryourself, then Nigella Lawson’s book is a perfect place to start. It’s not just acollection of recipes – some of them areamazingly simple – but a book aimed atdeveloping a love of eating and of pro-viding meals to loved ones. Anecdotesabout food and eating are sprinkledamong the recipes, under headings suchas: Basics, Cooking in Advance, One and Two, Weekend Lunch, and FeedingBabies and Small Children. Entertainingto read and extremely practical.
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
by Liz Jensen
Bloomsbury, 227 pages
A psychological thriller about a protective
mother and her highly intelligent child,who is extremely accident-prone. Louis,the child, falls down a ravine during afamily picnic and goes into a deep coma.Dr. Dannachet must unlock the secrets of Louis’s mind and bring him back toconsciousness. But the good doctor findshimself embroiled in a tangle of familysecrets and deceptions, which have direconsequences for him. An ambitious literary work.
Photo: S
tuttgart Philharm
onic Orchestra
accents magazine16 accent on…
accent on…
Heidelberg
Still burning bright?
Accents’ very own eternal student,
Thomas Ravel, finds out if the university
city of Heidelberg makes the grade.
That painful chapter of my life so long ago– all those C-minuses, and phrases like“Could do better” – come flooding back asI head toward this student-Mecca, armedwith an old school exercise book and aberet. Bad start. Berets, it seems, went outwith portable cassette recorders and bell-bottomed trousers. Thank God that smalland slightly fetid, smoky student bars arestill alive and well in Heidelberg – no lessthan 67 of them to choose from in thetown centre alone. These no-smokingzones of the future seem to have long agoabolished exercise books as the cerebralaccessory of choice, so mine went straightinto the bin. I hated biology anyway.
Fortified by a heady mix of snatchedhalf-sentences of intellectual debate and a large whiskey, my exploration begins.Hiring a bike, which is cheap and easy, is agood transport option but the cobblestonesplay havoc with your piles. So, by foot it is.The cosmopolitan charm of the old townthoroughly masks the evidence that Heidel-berg greets over 3 million visitors a year.
And there are so many friendly faces too,with the notable exception of the staff inthe Nordsee on the Hauptstraße. The fishsoup was excellent, though.
Leafing through my tourist guides I learnthat whilst 1196 is accepted as the firstmention of Heidelberg in official records(albeit as Heidelberch), settlement in thearea dates back to prehistoric times. Thetown is bounded by two hills at the end ofthe Neckar valley. The Celts built a hill forthere more than 500 years before the arrival(in the 1st century) of the Romans, whobuilt a small fort and settlement to protecttheir strategically important bridge over theNeckar. The river and its crossing pointsinevitably attracted unwanted guests and Heidelberg has lived through many adestructive war. Thus, what used to be arather imposing medieval town was rebuiltas a Baroque town in the early 18th cen-tury. Since funds for the rebuilding werelimited, Heidelberg’s architectural style isunkindly referred to as “poor man’sBaroque”.
The castle remains in ruins, but addssignificantly to the postcard quality of theview of the old-town area. Entry into thecastle grounds is free, but it’s worth paying
the small entrance fee for access to theimpressive castle courtyard and the cellarhousing the “Big Barrel,” built to hold over21,000 litres of wine. The Old Town hasmuch to offer, whether by guided tour(available through the Tourist Office) or byfoot. Begin your exploration where you will,but Karlstor, an 18th century gate in classi-cist architectural style at the easternmostpoint of the city, is as good a starting pointas any. There are a myriad of “must-sees,”but the Old Bridge (built between 1786-88),the House of Knight George (1592) – one of the only significant survivors of a blazein 1693 – and the Scientific Institute whereRobert Wilhelm Bunsen produced theBunsen burner rank highly amongst them.The Church of the Holy Spirit, the mainmarket square and the town hall, with asplendid neo-Renaissance auditorium on its second floor, are also worth walkingthrough. Ample provision has been madefor shop-aholics and munch-aholics alike.Like most student cities, Heidelberg has avariety of interesting shops offering newand second-hand trinkets, clothing, healthfoods, antiques and endless shoe shops.I’m convinced everyone in Heidelberg hasat least four feet.
Heidelberg Websites
www.heidelberg.de www.heidelberg-tourismus.de www.e-heidelberg.com www.HDSolarSchiff.com (boat trips)www.meier-online.de (city guide)www.dai-heidelberg.de(German-American-Institute)
An estimated one in five of the 140,000inhabitants – which make HeidelbergBaden-Württemberg’s fifth largest city – are students. Its university alone, Germany’soldest, founded in 1386, hosts 26,000 stu-dents, of whom about 5,000 are internatio-nal students. The university’s website says:“The standard time to finish a degree iseight semesters (four years) but in practicemost students take considerably longer.”That’s hardly surprising when you look atwhat’s on in Heidelberg to drive studentsto distraction. Apart from five theatres, as well as clubs and cinemas and dozens of watering holes in the old part of town, a further 80 pubs and clubs are dottedthroughout the suburbs surrounding Heidel-berg.
To save cash as well as shoe leather,invest in the two-day “Heidelberg Card”.This provides free or discounted entry tomany places of interest, a 10% reduction in selected shops and restaurants, as wellas free travel on city trams and buses. Itcosts only 14 euros. The family version is26 euros.
I had been hoping the good weatherwould hold out for an early evening walkalong the “Philosopher’s Way” on the northern bank of the Neckar. The pathwaytakes its name from countless professorsand philosophers who’ve strolled along it
But what of the students? down the centuries. It’s said to offer thebest views of the old bridge, the castle and the old town, especially when bathedin the red glow of the setting sun. It’s offe-red inspiration to famous poets such asEichendorff, Goethe and Hölderlin. But, asever, the gods laugh in my face as heavyrain begins to fall on my beret and dam-pens my enthusiasm. “The sun laughs over Baden – and the whole world at Würt-temberg,” goes the old joke, told by theBadeners. But not today.
Squelching back across the old bridge,I’m not done yet. I want to check out anew water-craft (imaginatively called TheHeidelberg) which claims to be the mostmodern solar steel vessel in the world. Itoffers “all-round visibility … two bistros, aPA system and toilets.” For those with sealegs it’s good value, at six euros a head,providing a great opportunity to view Hei-delberg, especially by night, as you cruisealong the Neckar. But I’m a bit put off bythe thought of lightning striking the steelframe of the boat and leaving me with apermanent perm. Maybe next time.
So does Heidelberg still burn brightly? I vote yes. With thousands of students burning the midnight oil the city’s lights are definitely on. Even before good old Mr Bunsen produced his famous burner,Heidelberg’s flair for innovation and research was evident. Today it is home tothe European Molecular Biology Laboratoryand other top research institutes. It’s also
the hub of the Rhein-Neckar BioRegioninitiative, pioneering major environmentalprojects.
For those who still have time to trip thelight fantastic, check out the SchwimmbadMusic Club, just off Tiergartenstraße inNeuenheim. This offers regular live bands,a cinema, a bistro and several club areaswith different musical offerings each night.If I thought I’d get in with wet shoes and asoggy beret I’d go myself – just to find outwhat “EBM, Gothic and Dark-wave” musicis all about. Eat your heart out Little JimmyOsmond. Mind you, with styles of musiclike that, they probably do.
Heidelberg, with its famous castle,bounded by twohills at the end ofthe Neckar.
Photos: H
eidelberger Kongress und Tourism
us Gm
bH
accents magazine18 Children’s Corner
Children’s Corner
Real writers are always on promotional
reading tours, but what impression do
they make on kids? Accents recently
accompanied British children’s author
Anna Dale, whose first book Whispering
to Witches was a bestseller, on a visit
to the International School of Stuttgart.
Anna Dale (pictured right) is a booksellerby day and a writer by night. She doesn’tlook much older than a high school student,and so she fits in among the crowd at theInternational School. Dale was scheduled to read eight different passages from herbook but she only got through two, soeager were the children, who were fromGrades 5 to 7, to ask her questions. Thequestions focused on writing, reading, andthe author’s favourite books and favouritecharacters. One question had her stumped:“What is the message of your book?” Inthe end she responded by saying: “I amwriting about the neglected child. Youknow, the kind of child who’s the last to be
picked for a baseball team. The child whomthe parents never have time for. I believeevery child is special.”
And so begins a child’s fascination withthe magic of writing, of putting pen topaper, of telling stories. The curious thingabout the book Anna Dale was readingfrom, Dawn Undercover, (see review be-low) her latest book, is that it was alreadyavailable in German as Mary Undercoverwhile the English original was not due forrelease in England until early November.The publishers say this is due to the needof booksellers in the UK for a longer lead-intime for promotional sales. Whatever thereason, here was a British author readingfrom a book that had not even been offi-cially released in her own language in herhome country, while the German transla-tion could be bought at a bookshop aroundthe corner.
Dale explained to her young listenershow a book is created, from the conception
of an idea to publication. Some childrenwent up to the author after the reading toreveal their desire to become writers.
“It’s important for us to have authorsand poets come to the school to reinforcethe enjoyment of reading and writing,” said Mark Lawrence, a librarian at the Inter-national School of Stuttgart. “It’s good tosee that success has come to Anna Dale atsuch young age with her writing. This is agood role model for the kids.”
Promoting books in English
A children’s author on tour
Children’s book reviews
The daylight hours are dwindling, it’s
becoming colder, and a warm room and
a comfortable chair are becoming more
alluring than playing outside. There’s
nothing better right now than reading
an exciting adventure story!
Dawn Undercover by Anna Dale
Bloomsbury, 360 pages
A perfect book for would-be secretagents, especially those under 14! Dawnis a child, neglected by her parents andignored by her classmates, whose mostremarkable characteristic is that she iscompletely unnoticeable. She is recruitedby P.S.S.T. (Pursuit of Scheming Spiesand Traitors) to become a spy and sud-denly her dull life changes forever. She is asked to help track down a missingP.S.S.T. agent and to find out if the legen-dary criminal, Murdo Meek, is still aliveand active. There are touching momentsand high suspense and action scenes. Thecharacters are both unique and familiar.
Death and the Arrow by Chris Priestly
Random House UK, 168 pages
The is the first in a series of Tom Mar-lowe stories set in 18th century London.
Tom, the son of a printer, is as fascinatedas the rest of London by a series of murders in which the victims are killed by arrows and left holding a mysteriouscard. His interest intensifies when his friend Will, a street urchin, becomes thenext victim. The characters possess awonderful mixture of urbane wisdom andstreet-smart cunning. Historical referen-ces are clearly explained without hinde-ring the pace of the story. This mysterymakes for addictive reading. Bring on thenext book in the series!
The 7 Professors of the Far North
by John Fardell
Faber and Faber, 218 pages
Uncle Alexander is a scientist and aninventor. His house, where Ben and Zaraalso live, is filled with remarkable gadgetsand strange rooms. The children are joi-ned by Sam for the holidays, who expec-ts to have fun but not to be involved inlife-threatening adventures. This is a wildand inventive tale, a whirlwind adventure,racing from a strange Edinburgh house tothe Arctic Circle, where the children arepart of a rescue mission. It involvessecret underground transportation sys-tems connecting vast areas of the world,and a secret agreement between sevenprofessors that could change the world.The only disappointing thing about thisstory is that it has no sequel.
Classifieds 19accents magazine
Classes
Halpin School of Irish Dance Children and Adult Irish Dance Classes. Beginners, Primary & Intermediate Levels start November 2005. Tel 0711 483901Email: [email protected]
Business Services
U.S. INCOME TAX RETURNSProfessional PreparationTübingen/Stuttgart 07071 968590or [email protected]
Need financial advice? Whetheryou require German or internationalsolutions to your insurance andinvestment requirements, we canhelp plan your strategy. You have a wide choice of products from anindependent advisor who knows themarket. Irys Ehmann, IndependentFinancial Advisor, Eberhardstr. 47, Stuttgart, Phone 0711 6333643,[email protected]
Employment
Native speakers wantedwith financial/technical/business experience and excellent inter-personal and language skills.Freelance work. Contact:[email protected]
Business English Trainersrequired for in-company courses inthe Stuttgart area on a freelancebasis. Do you have a minimum ofone year’s teaching experiencetogether with a TEFL or equivalentcertificate, and can you create a stimulating atmosphere for learnersto discuss business topics? If so,we would like to hear from you.Please contact us at 0711 6209932or send your CV and details to us at [email protected]
Personal
Australian Babysitter availablein Stuttgart. Contact Emma on Phone 0175 7588343,Email [email protected]
The International Women’s Club of Stuttgart. Our club has beenestablished to give women of allnationalities, living in the Stuttgartarea, the opportunity to socialise,network and meet on a regularbasis. We invite you to join ourmonthly club meeting on the firstWed of each month from 10 am to 12:30 pm at Kulturcafe Merlin,Augustenstraße 72, Stuttgart. Formore information call 0711 6566340or visit www.iwcstuttgart.org
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Exhibits
Stage
Event
Xmas
OffenburgWeihnachtsmarktNov 24 - Dec 23, starting 10 am,down townPforzheimWeihnachtsmarktNov 24 - Dec 22, MarktplatzReutlingenReutlinger WeihnachtsmarktNov 25 - Dec 22, at the MarienkircheSindelfingenWeihnachtsbazaarNov 5-13, MessehalleAdventsmarktNov 26 and 27, Dorfplatz DarmsheimWeihnachtsmarktDec 3-4, MarktplatzChristmas PartyThe Deutsch Australische Freund-schaft club’s annual event. Non-members pay for own meals. Dec10. Call 07031 607521 for bookings.StuttgartCluss and ChristmasExcursion to the Adolf Cluss Exhibit and the Christmas market in Heilbronn, Dec 3, 9 am - 4 pm,sign up by Nov 25 at the DAZ 0711 228180Stuttgarter WeihnachtsmarktNov 25 - Dec 23, Marktplatz WeihnachtsantikmarktChristmas Antique Market,Nov 25 - Dec 23, Karlsplatz TübingenWeihnachtsmarktDec 9-11, old town Mittelalterlicher (Medieval)WeihnachtsmarktDec 17-18, Kloster Bebenhausen UlmWeihnachtsmarktNov 21 - Dec 22, MünsterplatzWeil der StadtWeihnachtsmarktDec 3, 9 am, downtown
Exhibits
FreiburgNorthern Ireland in the Eyes of Freiburg Students
EsslingenMittelalter- und Weihnachtsmarkt Medieval- and Christmas Market,Nov 24 - Dec 22, 11 am - 8:30 pm,town centerKunst- und Handwerkermarkt Adventsmarket, Arts and CraftsDec 4-5, Hafenmarkt FreiburgWeihnachtsmarktNov 24 - Dec 23, old part of townHeidelbergWeihnachtsmarktNov 23 - Dec 22, 11 am - 9 pm, Universitätsplatz, Marktplatz,Kornmarkt HerrenbergWeihnachtsmarktDec 2-4, downtown KarlsruheWeihnachtsmesse für Angewandte KunstArts and Crafts Christmas Market, Nov 25 - Dec 4, 11 am - 7 pm,Museum beim MarktChristkindlesmarktNov 24 - Dec 23Nottingham Stall at Christmas MarketOrganised by the German-EnglishFriendship Club DEF together with friends from Nottingham,Karlsruhe’s twin-city and the Celtic Shop. Helpers welcome! Call 0721 7569503, Nov 29 - Dec 2Christmas Carol SingingThe “Pitchbenders“, will present a great musical program assisted by a children’s choir from theEuropean School Karlsruhe. Dec 3,4 pm, Kleine Kirche, KaiserstraßeKonstanzWeihnachtsmarkt am SeeChristmas Market on the Lake,Nov 25 - Dec 23, Marktplatz and harborLudwigsburgBarock-Weihnachtsmarkt Baroque Christmas MarketNov 24 - Dec 22, Marktplatz MannheimWeihnachtsmarktNov 23 - Dec 23, 11 am - 9 pm,Friedrichsplatz
Guided tours upon request, 0761 2039263, till Nov 30, Thu 6-8 pm, Sat and Sun 3-8:30 pm, Uniseum MannheimThe American DreamPhotographs from the DZ Bank collection, until Dec 30, Kunsthalle, www.kunsthalle-mannheim.deCecily Brown – Paintings In cooperation with the Modern Art Gallery Oxford.Until Dec 30, KunsthalleStuttgartEric Carle – A Children’s ArtistUntil Dec 30, Foyer Württembergische Library,entrance UrbanstraßeMel Ramos Nudes from the Californian popartist, till Nov 30, Tue-Thu 2-6 pm,DAZ, Charlottenplatz 17,www.daz.org
Stage
FreiburgLouis Sachar’s “Holes”Student Theater Performance in English, PädagogischeHochschule, Kunzenweg 21, Nov 21and 22, 8 pm, Nov 24 and 25, 10 pm, Tickets Carl-Schurz-Haus,www.carl-schurz-haus.deHeidelbergA Christmas Carol adapted from Charles DickensDec 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 at 7:30 pm,Dec 15 at 7 pm, Dec 4 and 18 at 3 pm (special family matinees),Dec 11 at 3 pm (special EFMP invited performance), RoadsideTheater, tickets 06221 175020,www.roadsidetheater.comLeonbergThe Rocky Horror ShowRichard O’Brien’s authentic London West End Production with the London Musical Theatre,Oct 23, 7 pm, Stadthalle
Events
FilderstadtAfrica Culture Nights Two evenings of African movies,food, theatre, fashion and music. Nov 11-12, 7 pm - late, Alte Mühle, Humboldtstraße 5HeidelbergSlamming the Stage Poetry slam performance, Nov 25, 8 pm, d.a.i., Sofienstraße 12,www.dai-heidelberg.deNew Year’s PartyDec 31, 8 pm, d.a.i., see aboveKarlsruheDEF at the Offerta Trade Fair Visit the DEF club at the sister citiesstand. Nov 5 and 6, Neue MesseGuy Fawkes Bonfire at the European School,Nov 12, 6 pm (gates open at 4 pm)Book & Bake SaleSecond hand books and home-made cakes at spectacular prices,Nov 19, 10 am - 2 pm, American Library, Kanalweg 52,www.american-library.deMannheim54th International Film FestivalMannheim and Heidelberg,Nov 17-26, www.mannheim-filmfestival.comStuttgartStuttgart German Masters 200521st International Riding and Show Jumping Competition, Nov 16-20, Schleyerhalle,www.stuttgart-german-masters.deThanksgiving Dinner Celebrate Thanksgiving with the DAZ at Patch Barracks,Nov 22, 6:30 pm,(sign up by Nov 8, 0711 228180)Christmas FairCarol service at “The EnglishChurch” with lots of homemadegoodies afterwards!Dec 11, 5 pm, St. Catherine’sChurch, Katharinenplatz 5,www.stuttgartanglicans.de Tübingend.a.i. Thanksgiving Dinner & DanceNov 26, 7:30 pm, Ludwig’s(sign up by Nov 18, 07071 795260)
Christmas
AalenWeihnachtsmarktNov 25 - Dec 22, SpritzenhausplatzBad Wimpfen Altdeutscher Weihnachtsmarkt Nov 25 - Dec 11 (Fri -Sun)Bietigheim-Bissingen WeihnachtsbazaarNov 27, old part of town Sternlesmarkt Dec 8-18, old part of townBöblingenWeihnachtsmarktNov 25 - Dec 4
Mel RamosPop art from the Californianartist. In cooperation withGallery Walter Bischoff.Until Nov 30, Tue-Thu 2-6 pm,DAZ Stuttgart
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choice
Christmas Time in the CityFrom Aalen to Weil der Stadt, Baden-Württemberg has aChristmas market near you!(see listings)
accents forum
Let us hear your accent! This informal meeting is open to anyone who would like to add their voice to our magazine. Comments, criticisms, and contributions are all welcome!
Friday, November 11th, 7 pmat [email protected], Schlossstraße77, Stuttgart-West. OwnerChris Houston promises thebest Mexican food and drinksthis side of the border! Socome join us for a margaritaand a quesadilla and tell uswhat you think of the newissue.
Friday, January 13th, time and location to be announced.
accentsmagazine
accents magazine20 accents choice
Music
Lecture
FreiburgMarla GlenNov 17, 8 pm, JazzhausCandye Kane & BandBlues, Nov 18, 8 pm, JazzhausThe Pretty Things & The Crazy World of Arthur BrownRhythm and Blues,Nov 27, 8 pm, JazzhausRoachfordPop, Nov 28, 8 pm, JazzhausNew York, New York A Broadway song evening by the Young Opera Company,songs from famous BroadwayMusicals, Dec 1, 8 pm, Elisabeth-Schneider-StiftungTickets Carl-Schurz-Haus, www.carl-schurz-haus.deHeidelbergArthur Blythe Bob Stewart DuoNov 22, 8:30 pm, d.a.i., www.dai-heidelberg.deHeilbronnRoachford & SupportWord of Mouth Tour 2005, Nov 25, 8 pm, Harmonie, Wilhelm-Maybach-SaalKarlsruheOldie Night 2005Sweet, Boney M, Showaddywaddy, Slade, Drifters, Dave Ashby, MoonlightsNov 19, 6:15 pm, Europahalle Friends of Dean MartinezNov 17, 8 pm, Substage, www.substage.deFiddlers GreenIrish Independent Speedfolk,Nov 25, 8 pm, SubstageLudwigsburgBill EvansSoulgrass, Nov 18, 8 pm, Scala,www.scala-ludwigsburg.deThe Jackson Singers/USAAmazing Gospel Christmas,Dec 10, ScalaMannheimColdplayNov 10, 8 pm, MaimarkthalleSimply RedNov 19, SAP Arena
StuttgartA Christmas Carol with Brian D. BarnesDec 15-17, 8 pm, Theater derAltstadt, Rotebühlstraße 89,www.theater-der-altstadt.deMiracle on 34th StreetNov 18-20, 26, 27 and Dec 2-4, 5-7, 9-11 at 7:30 pmStuttgart Theatre Center – Kelley Theatre, open to generalpublic, www.kelleytheatre.deMapplethorpe Dance performance with Ismael Ivo,Dec 1-3, 8 pm, Wilhelma Theater,www.wilhelma-theater.deSpirits at Christmas NEAT Theater and Guests.An Evening of Irish Theater andEntertainment, Dec 9 and 10, 8 pm,komunales kontakt teater, www.s-line.de/homepages/kktAfrican Footprint South African Song and Dance,Dec 10, 13, 14, 15 at 8 pm, Dec 11at 4 and 7 pm, Dec 16 at 8:30 pm,Dec 17 at 5 and 8 pm, Theaterhaus,www.theaterhaus.comHoliday on Ice: RomanzaDec 14-18, Schleyerhalle, www.holidayonice.comMamma Mia (in German) Musical with 22 songs by ABBA,Tue, Thur, Fri at 8 pm, Wed at 6:30 pm, Sat 3 and 8 pm, Sun 2 and 7 pm, Palladium Theater,SI-Centrum, tickets 0711 2228246,www.stageholding.deElisabeth (in German) Musical, all year beginning Mar 6,SI-Centrum, Apollo-Theater, tickets 0711 2228-243 and -242 On tour in the regionKing Lear American Drama GroupNov 7, 8 pm, Ulmer TheaterNov 17, 7:30 pm, Theater HeilbronnNov 22, 4 and 7 pm, Bürgerhaus Seepark FreiburgNov 23, 8 pm, Theater am RingVillingen-SchwenningenDec 5, 6 pm, Filderhalle LeinfeldenDec 15 and 16, 4 and 8 pm, Wilhelma Theater StuttgartLand of Lords Irish Dance and Rock MusicalLive Irish music 7 pm, begin of musical 8 pm, Nov 25,Friedrich-List-Halle, ReutlingenNov 26, Stadthalle, SindelfingenA Christmas CarolAmerican Drama GroupDec 8, 10:30 am, Friedrich-List-Halle, ReutlingenDec 11, 4 and 8 pm, Ulmer TheaterDec 8 and 9, 11 am and 3 pm,Wilhelma Theater, StuttgartDec 22, 7:30 pm, Theater Heilbronn
Music
Aalen14th Jazz Festival Nov 3-6, www.aalener-jazzfest.deAidlingen 12th Aidlinger Jazz Days Jesse Davis (sax., USA), Nov 3, 8 pmTommie Harris (voc., USA), Nov 4, 8 pmJoan Faulkner – The Voice (USA),Nov 5, 8 pmRod Mason and His Hot Five (GB),Nov 6, 8 pmSchlosskeller, www.jazzforum.net
Lectures/Discussions
FreiburgNorthern Ireland LecturesAccompanying the exhibit Northern Ireland in the Eyes ofFreiburg Students,Andreas Hüther, MA, Nov 11Marcel Baumann, MA, Nov 15Dr. Peter Wuhrer, Nov 17Prof. Mechthild Hesse, Nov 23All lectures at 8 pm, HS 1, Alte UniOpen Dialog – Why boys love cars and girls love horsesIs this cliché true across cultures?Nov 9, 6:30-8 pm Term-papers, diaries, poetry and complaint lettersThe role of writing in our everyday lives. Nov 23, 6:30-8 pm,Carl-Schurz-Haus library, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266HeidelbergDiscussion group with Dr. Steven Bloom What should young people betaught about the past? Nov 8Why is there opposition to homosexual marriage? Nov 15Do we worry too much about terrorism or not enough? Nov 22Why does someone become a “fanatic”? Nov 29Tuesdays, 6 pm, d.a.i. library, Sofienstraße 12,www.dai-heidelberg.de English-Language VideoDiscussion GroupElizabeth Cady Stanton 1, Nov 2Elizabeth Cady Stanton 2, Nov 9Elizabeth Cady Stanton 3, Nov 16West Point 1, Nov 23West Point 2, Nov 30Wednesdays, 6 pm, d.a.i. library, see address aboveHyphenated Vietnam poetzone3 reading, Linh Dinh, TruonTran, Mong-Lan, Nguyen Chi Trung,Nov 11, 8 pm, d.a.i. Großer Saal
Oldie Night 2005Smokie, Boney M, Drifters,Tremeloes, Racey, Dave Ashby,Memories, Nov 26, MaimarkthalleThe Ten TenorsDec 4, 7 pm, Rosengarten Mozartsaal ReichenbachMidge UreRock, Nov 4, 8 pm, h2o – die halle,www.h20-diehalle.deMarla Glen & BandNov 10, 8 pm, h2oKieran GossIrish singer and songwriter,Nov 26, 9 pm, h2oMagnumMelodic rock, Dec 2, 8 pm, h2oStuttgartTap DogsNov 1, 8 pm, Liederhalle, www.liederhalle-stuttgart.deThe Big Chris Barber Band Dixieland Jazz, Nov 2, 8 pm, T1,Theaterhaus, www.theaterhaus.comThe Blues Band (GB)Nov 10, 8:30 pm, LaboratoriumBarbara Thompson &Paraphernalia feat. Jon Hiseman “Never Say Goodbye” Tour 2005,Nov 15, 8:30 pm, T2, Theaterhaus,www.theaterhaus.comStereo MCNov 21, 8:30 pm, LKA Longhorn,www.lka-longhorn.deThe Porcupine TreeNov 22, 8:30 pm, LKA LonghornJackie Leven & Small World OrchestraNov 22, 8:30 pm, LaboratoriumVisions 15th Anniversary Festival Tour (Rock) Mando Diao, Turbonegro, Life Of Agony, Billy Talent, Dredg, Muff Potter,Nov 26, 5 pm, Schleyerhalle,www.schleyerhalle.deBloc PartyNov 27, 8 pm, LKA Longhorn Runrig PDec 1, Hegelsaal, LiederhalleGeorge Bailey & Oral MosesSpirituals, Classicals, Gospels,Lyricals, Dec 6, 5 pm, WilhelmaTheater, see address aboveStarsailorDec 7, 8:30 pm, LKA LonghornTübingenLaurie Lewis & Tom RozumAmerican Folk Roots, Acoustic Country, Bluesgrass,Dec 7, 9 pm, DepotOn Tour in the RegionLouisiana Red & Blueskraft The giants of Blues, Nov 12, 9 pm, h2o, ReichenbachNov 24, 8:15 pm, d.a.i. TübingenNov 25, 8 pm, Ebene 3, HeilbronnNov 26, 8:30 pm, Merlin, StuttgartHolly Cole & Band Pop and Jazz,Nov 15, 8 pm, Burghof LörrachNov 16, 8 pm, Scala LudwigsburgA-HaNov 26, 8 pm, Neue Messe FriedrichshafenNov 28, 8 pm, Schleyerhalle StuttgartThe Golden Gospel SingersNov 29, 8 pm, WeinmanufakturStuttgart-UntertürkheimJan 5, Neubausaal, Schwäbisch HallJan 10, Stadthalle Aalen
Tickets can be bought at Booking-offices, by calling Easy-ticket service 0711 2555555,www.easyticket.de orSWR 1 ticket service 0180 5929211
Blueskraft on tourwith Louisiana RedThe local boys fromReutlingen are on tour withChicago blues musician Louisiana Red.(see listings below)
Thanksgiving DinnerTuesday, Nov 22, 6.30 pm,Celebrate Thanksgivingwith us! Please register by Nov 8 at the DAZ.
‘Cluss and Christmas’ in Heilbronn, Saturday, Dec 3, 9 am - 4 pm A winter excursion to theAdolf Cluss Exhibit and the Christmas Market in Heilbronn. Fee: 30 E or 20 E for members. Pleaseregister by Nov 25 at theDAZ.
Deutsch-Amerikanisches ZentrumJames-F.-Byrnes-Institut e.V.Charlottenplatz 1770173 Stuttgart0711-228180www.daz.org
accents choice 21accents magazine
Librari
Clubs &
Heidelberg International School 06221 7590600, Villa Heinstein,Wieblinger Weg 9, Heidelberg, www.hischool.deInternational School Ulm/Neu-Ulm0731 3793530, Beyerstraße 45, Ulm,www.is-ulm.deEnglish for preschoolers and first graders in Freiburg0761 1378177 Cathy Plog, [email protected] English House English and art for kids 3 and upwww.littleenglishhouse.deHelen Doron Early EnglishLearning English with fun andgamens, www.hdee.de
Libraries
Children’s English Library e.V.0711 3582215, Etzelstraße 25-27,Stuttgart, Tue 4-6 pm, Fri 3-6 pm,Sat 2-5 pm, www.celstuttgart.deDeutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum Charlottenplatz 17, Stuttgart, Tue-Thu 2-6 pmDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut TübingenKarlstraße 3, Tue-Fri 1-6 pm,Thursdays 1-8 pmKarlsruhe American Library0721 72752, Kanalweg 52, Tue-Fri 2-6 pm, Wed 10-12 am, Sat 10 am-2 pm,www.amerikanische-bibliothek.deDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut HeidelbergSophienstraße 12, Mon-Fri 1-6 pm,Wed 1-8 pm, Sat 10 am-2 pmCarl-Schurz-Haus FreiburgKaiser-Joseph-Straße 266, Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 1:30 pm, 3-6 pm
Clubs & Organizations
Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum/James-F.-Byrnes-Institut e.V.0711 228180, Charlottenplatz 17,Stuttgart, www.daz.org70173: English Spoken Stammtisch12:00 pm at Restaurant Plenum inthe B-W Landtag Building, [email protected] fordates. Open participation. Founders:Andrea Krueger & Dr. Peter Mendler(both of the B-W Ministry of Eco-nomic Affairs) and Rainer Wieland(Member of the European Parliament) Stammtisch TRANSATLANTIKOnce a month at Plenum RestaurantStuttgart, info at DAZ 0711 228180Metropolitan Club e.V.social, educational & cultural eventsfor all nationalities, www.metclub.deStuttgart Conversation Club0711 8892252 Ed Wilson, 35 years and up, www.metclub.deBaltimore BeautiesQuilting bee at the DAZ, Stuttgart,every 3rd Fri of the month, 9 -12 am, 0711 243242 Judy Ehmer Stuttgart Book Clubwww.StuttgartBookClub.deGerman-American Club 19480711 814270 Eberhard SteinGerman-American Women’s Club [email protected], www.gawc-stuttgart.deInternational Women’s Club Stuttgart All nationalities and ages, every 1st
accents magazine22 accents guide
ools
Emerg
sulates
Emergency
Police 110Fire Department 112Ambulance & EmergencyMedical 19222Poison Hotline 0761 19240English Speaking PoisonControl 06131 232466Doctor for House Calls 0711 2628012
Consulates/Embassies
Australia030 8800880, Wallstraße 76-79,BerlinCanada 0711 2239678, Lange Straße 51,StuttgartIreland030 220720, Friedrichstraße 200,BerlinNew Zealand 030 206210, Friedrichstraße 60,BerlinSouth Africa 030 220730, Friedrichstraße 60,BerlinUnited Kingdom0711 162690, Breite Straße 2,StuttgartUnited States of America069 75350, Siesmayerstraße 21,Frankfurt
Schools & Preschools
International School of Stuttgart e.V. 0711 7696000, Sigmaringer Straße257, Stuttgart, www.international-school-stuttgart.deBotnanger Kinderbetreuung Bilingual Kindergarden 0711 6993404 Gina Kussi,Griegstraße 18, StuttgartInternationaler MontessoriKindergarten e.V. 0711 93150510, Sulzgrieser Straße 114, EsslingenEducCare Bilingual Kindergarden0711 6581447, Hasenbergstraße31/2, Stuttgart, www.educcare.deEuropean School Karlsruhe0721 680090, Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 1, KarlsruheEnglish GardenEnglish and music lessons, 07618866181, Hasenweg 34, FreiburgOberlin Kinderuniversität0761 85648, Am Mühlbach 13, Freiburg, www.oberlinkinderuniversitaet.deInternational School of Kreuzlingen Konstanz 0041 71 6722727Hauptstraße 27, Kreuzlingen,Switzerland, www.iskk.ch
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Kids
Work
KarlsruheHoliday Jobs and Placements in the US and other English-speaking countriesSandra Willer of TravelWorks in Münster talks about work and travel programsNov 10, 7 pm, American Library,www.american-library.deLitNight in Englishreading and discussing literature,Nov 15, Dec 6 and 20, 7:30 pm,American Library, see abovePoetry PleaseReading and discussion, Nov 22, 7:30-9 pm, AmericanLibrary, Tom 0721 3540477StuttgartConversation Circle The 2nd G.W. Bush Administration: An Assessment. Nov 18, 6 pmObesity: Are We Getting Too Fat? Dec 16, 6 pm, DAZ, www.daz.orgThe Empire Study GroupThis popular study group byLaurence Stallings and Scott Stelleat the dai in Tübingen now comesto Stuttgart! Nov 11, 6 pm, DAZ, www.daz.orgThe Lakota-Sioux from WoundedKnee to the 21st Century Leonard Little Finger of the LakotaSioux from Oglala, Pine RidgeReservation, South Dakota, tells hisfamily’s story. Nov 14, 7:30 pm,DAZ, www.daz.orgChanging Intellectual Paradigmsand the Use of Military ForceProfessor Kenneth Moss, Ph.D.,Nov 28, 7:30 pm, DAZ, www.daz.orgCorporate Ethics LectureCorporate responsibility in the global business world. Presentationby Caux Round Table hosted byAmerican-German Business Club. Nov 30, 7 pm, Stuttgart Rathaus,www.agbc.deTübingenThe Social Construction ofEmpire, or the Creation of RealityStudy Group with LaurenceStallings and Scott Stelle,Nov 25, Dec 16, 6:45 pm, Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut(d.a.i.), Karlstraße 3, 07071 795260,www.dai-tuebingen.deAn Evening with a Good BookLiterature with Walter Nilson Just Like That Lily Brett, Nov 4, 6:30 pm A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving, Dec 2, 6:30 pm d.a.i., see address aboveWriter’s Clubwith Carolyn Murphey Melchers, Nov 18, Dec 16, 2 pm, d.a.i., see address aboveTalk at Eight Discussion Group on Current IssuesNov 15, Dec 20, 20:15 pm, d.a.i., see address above
Workshops
FreiburgCreative Writing in English:Poetry, Prose, (Auto-)Biography3 sessions (each 6 hours) plus performance, Oct 29, Nov 26,Dec 17 and Feb 6, 10 am - 4 pm, Carl-Schurz-Haus library, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 266,[email protected]
StuttgartQuilting Bee:The Baltimore Beauties A multilingual, hand sewing quiltinggroup; guests are welcome. Nov 18,9-12 am, DAZ, www.daz.orgFilmworkshop: GiantNov 24, 6:30 pm, DAZ, www.daz.orgA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the ForumDec 20, 7:30 pm, DAZ, www.daz.orgTübingenQuilting Bees: A Forum for Patchwork Quilters3rd Thursday of month, 3-5 pm,d.a.i., www.dai-tuebingen.de
Kids
KarlsruheStorytime in English!Children aged 2-5 years, every 2ndand 4th Wed of the month at 4 pm,Nov 9 and 23, Dec 14, American Library, Kanalweg 52,www.american-library.deStories for Kids ages 6 and upThe Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark,Nov 11, 4 pmPapa Panov’s Special Day, A Christmas story,Dec 16, 4 pm, American Library,see address aboveStuttgartListen inStory and activity for kids 3-6 years with parent, Saturdays 3:30-4:30 pm,Nov 19 automobiles, trains & planesDec 17 Christmas is here againChildren’s English Library (CEL),Etzelstraße 25-27,www.celstuttgart.de Rhyme TimeSinging and Rhymes for kids 0-3with parent, Mondays 10-10:45 am,Nov 21 DucksDec 12 Christmas CarolsCEL, see address aboveScience WorkshopScientist Steve transforms the CEL into an amazing laboratory,ages 3+, Nov 12, 2-4 pm, CEL, see address aboveHappy Days Non-native English speakers (ages 3-6), Mon 4:15-5 pm and Tues 3:30-4:15 pm, CEL, see address aboveLet’s Play –Mommy & Me English Class Native English speakers (ages 2-3),Mon 10:45-11:30 am and Fri 4-4:45pm, CEL, see address aboveSinging and Story time Native English Speakers (ages 3-6), Fri 3-3:45 pm,CEL, see address aboveMrs. Jellybelly Eats Breakfast Interactive children’s theater inEnglish for ages 6-10, duration 40 min, Nov 16 and 17, 10 am and 2:30 pm, kommunales kontaktteater e.V. (kkt), Kissinger Straße66a, www.s-line.de/homepages/kkt/TübingenEnglish Storytime for Kids with Anne Crutchfield (ages 4-6)Nov 2, Dec 7, 4-5 pm, d.a.i, see address above
Theate
ygroups
Wed of the month, 10 am - 12:30 pm,Kulturcafe Merlin, Augustenstraße 72,0711 6566340, www.iwcstuttgart.orgAnglo-Stuttgart Society0711 568113 Günther Jaumann,www.jaumann.de/assBritish Club Stuttgart0711 455464 Alison SeyerleDeutsch-Britische Gesellschaft e.V.0172 7391495 Peter Alderath, Gasthaus Hirsch, Bernhausen, 1st Wed of the monthAsia Circle International Club07156 29164, [email protected],www.asia-circle.deInternational Choir of Stuttgart 0711 769600912 Carola, [email protected] Singers07159 44991 Kathy Williams,www.stuttgartsingers.deStuttgart German-AmericanCommunity Chorus0711 463463 David A. BecknerEUCOM HarmonizersStuttgart-Vaihingenbarbershop and a cappella, 07146 20677 John GerrishGerman-American Seniors Club0711 2560867 Hildegard GöhrumEnglish Round Table, EsslingenConversation group, 0711 3451344, Claudia Stadelmann, [email protected]áinne Irish Dance Group Stuttgart 0711 483901, www.fainne.deIrish Dance Ceili, Stuttgartevery 3rd Saturday of the monthwww.danceirish.deGerman Conversation Group07032 77919 Elena FieresELTAS e.V.English Language Teachers’Association Stuttgart, www.eltas.deInternational Toastmasters Club,Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe,Freiburg, Ulmpresentational skills in English, find links to all chapters atwww.toastmasters-stuttgart.de English-Speaking Stammtisch S-Untertürkheim0711 3041337 Derek EvansDeutsche AustralischeFreundschaft e.V.07031 607521 Jeff Gomes,www.deutsch-australische-freundschaft.deFriends Club International e.V.Böblingen-Sindelfingen07031 806522 Jan W. Boon“Here We Are” International Group Esslingen07163 8580 Alison UnrathEnglish Morning Tea Aidlingen07034 7339 Ellen Zeller, Wed 10 am - 12 pm Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Tübingen07071 795260, Karlstraße 3, www.dai-tuebingen.deAnglo-German Club Pforzheim07231 472155 Dr Maurice Claypole,www.agc-pforzheim.dePro Country e.V. Deutscher Country & Western Dachverband07150 33212 Ralf Russig, www.pro-country-ev.deEnglish-Speaking Circle Starzachand Landkreise Freundenstadt,Tübingen & Zollernalb07478 8290 Kevin MacInerney-MaySchorndorf English Club07181 64440 Marion RubeDeutsch-Amerikanisches Institut Heidelberg06221 60730, Sofienstraße 12,www.dai-heidelberg.deGerman-British Society,
Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Stuttgart0761 4098804 Dr. Susanne Press,06221 864761 Prof. Manfred Liedtke,0711 66721255 Dr. Christoph Selzer,www.debrige.deGerman-English Friendship Club e.V. Karlsruhe0721 7569503 Rose Schrempp,[email protected], www.def-karlsruhe.deInternational Women’s Club Karlsruhe e.V.Annemarie Frenzel, Postfach110448, 76054 KarlsruheVerein Deutsch-AmerikanischerFreundschaft Pfullendorf07552 6249 Dr Gary AndersonCarl-Schurz-Haus Freiburg0761 31647, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße266, www.carl-schurz-haus.deAnglo-German Club e.V. Freiburg07661 1324, Wehrlehof Straße 11,Oberried, [email protected] English Club0177 6553688 Terrence Barrwww.freiburg-english-club.orgNetwork of English-Speaking Women e.V.07664 962450 Candice Siegenthaler, [email protected], www.nesw.deBritish International Villingen-Schwenningen07721 53278 Carol King,www.bivs.gmxhome.deDeutsch-Irischer Freundeskreis (dif) 0711 2361736, www.dif-bw.deRegion Schwaben, Verband der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Clubs e.V.07156 29164 Mi-Kiyoung Wöhler, www.schwaben-vdac.de.vu
Theater Groups
A.C.T.S. Anglophone Collaborative Theatre of Stuttgart0711 6858370 Stuart Marlow, [email protected] TheatreKelley Barracks, Stuttgart, 0711 7292825, www.kelleytheatre.deN.E.A.T. New English American Theater 0711 634320, Stuttgart,[email protected], www.neat-theater.deOutcast International0711 634409, Stuttgart,www.outcast-theater.deAnglo-Irish Theatre Group Tübingen07071 67968 David Hegarty,[email protected], www.anglo-iren.deThe Round Table Players, AalenEva Schumm, [email protected] TheaterPatton Barracks, Heidelberg,06221 175020, www.roadsidetheater.comTheaterhaus TiG 70621 154976, Theater Trennt e.V.G7, 4b, Mannheim, www.tig7.deThe maniACTS FreiburgUniversity English Department,www.maniacts.de
Kids & Playgroups
English Playgroup Stuttgart-West0711 6361169 Bryan Groenjes, EKiZ Ludwigstraße 41-43, 0-6 years, Wed 4-6 pm
accents guide 23accents magazine
Sports
Movie
Political
siness
Reli
Scala Filmhaus Mühlacker 07041 3884, Bahnhofstraße 65 Kino-Center Weil der Stadt07033 2241, Badtorstraße 21 CinemaxX Freiburg0761 20281400, Bertholdstraße 50Friedrichsbau-Lichtspiele0761 36031, Kaiser-Joseph-Straße 268
Sports
American Football VerbandBaden-Württemberg e.V.0621 7624567 Andreas Stehle,www.afv-bawue.deBaden-WürttembergischerBaseball- und Softballverband 0711 705682 Jan van den Berg,www.bw-baseball.deBasketballverband Baden-Württemberg e.V.06224 975150 Roland Dopp,www.bbwbasketball.netHeidelberg International Ski Club Charter06221 767539 Margaret McGinley,www.heidelbergski.comRugby Association of Baden-Württemberg0172 7384207 Jimmy Collins,www.rugby-bw.de
English Playgroup Stuttgart0-9 years, www.englishplaygroup.deEnglish Playgroup at the DAZStuttgart0711 228180, 4-6 years on Tue 3-4 pm, 6-8 years on Tue 4-5 pmEnglish Playgroup Böblingen07031 287647 Stefanie Spence,0-7 years, Wed 3:30-5 pmEnglish PlaygroupHolzgerlingen/Böblingen area07034 654608 Anita Mayer0-5 years, Wed 9:30-10:30 amEnglish Playgroup Sindelfingen07031 873823 Christine Mitlacher,2-5 years, Tue 3:30 pm,[email protected]. Georg MKK EnglishPlaygroup in BonlandenTue 3:30-5:30 pm, 0-5 years, Nicki 0711 3270748, 5-10 years, Mhorag Heger 07127 960046English PlaygroupHerrenberg/Nebringen 07032 77452 Erika Laudenbach, 0-5 years, Mon 3-5 pmMeet, Chat and Playgroup Waldenbuch07157 8561 Elaine Rauhöft, Fri from 4 pm onwardsEnglish on a Friday AfternoonTübingen07071 930466 Günter Henke, Fri from 3:30 pm onwardsEnglish Playgroup in Rödersheim-Gronau (postal code 67127)06231 929616 Mrs I. Smith, Fri 10 am, Luise Koch Kindergarten English Reading Group FreiburgMütterzentrum Weingarten,Krozingerstraße 11, 0761 286803 Amanda Lampert or07666 99126 Fredi Trenkle
Political Groups
American Voices Abroad Tü[email protected], www.americanvoicesabroad.orgDemocrats AbroadHeidelberg,06221 3780 Charles Keene, Stuttgart, 0162 9824870 Dennis O’Donohue,www.democratsabroad.orgRepublicans Abroad Stuttgart07146 20677 John W. Gerrish, www.republicansabroad.de
Business Organizations
American German Business Clube.V. Stuttgart, Heidelberg,Karlsruhe0711 2486078 Peggy Stinson,President, [email protected],www.agbc.deAmerican Chamber of Commercein Germany e.V.0711 1667156 Prof Dr Roderich C. Thümmel, Regional Chairperson,www.amcham.de British Chamber of Commerce in Germany e.V.0711 25540460 Ralf Steppart,Regional Chairperson, www.bccg.deUSAforum Tübingen07071 55970 Bernd Zeutschel,www.usaforum.de
Religious Services
St. Catherine’s Church(Anglican) 07151 68973,Katharinenplatz 5, Stuttgart,www.stuttgartanglicans.deCity Chapel e.V. Stuttgart0711 6142956 Roland Krumm,Marienstraße 12, www.citychapel.deInternational Baptist ChurchStuttgart-Vaihingen: 0711 6874365 Pastor Jay McFadden; Heidelberg-Sandhausen: 06224 51516 Pastor Richard Blake;www.ibcstuttgart.deSt. Antonius Church0711 4597152 Odilo Metzler,Catholic Mass in English1st Saturday every month, 6:30 pmParacelsusstraße 87, Stuttgart-HohenheimFirst Church of Christ, Scientist0711 6207921 Heinz Clauss,www.christian-science-stuttgart.deUnited Methodist Church Stuttgart: 0711 251984 Dr Hans-Martin Niethammer;Reutlingen: 07121 78546 Harald Rückert; Karlsruhe: 0721 43721 Peter Vesen;www.emk.deChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Stuttgart: 0711 3419240 Ralf Gierschke;Mannheim: 06223 809040 Dr Frank Heckmann,www.lds.orgChurch of the Nazarene0711 551147 Mary Schaar, Friedenskirche, Bad CannstattEvangelical Students Community Tübingen07071 61928 Heidi AbeEnglish Vesper Service TübingenSun 6 pm, during the universitysemester, 07071 51475, www.institut-urchristentum.orgJewish Observance, Learning & Meditation, Tübingen07071 968590 Martin H. Potrop,[email protected] Columban’s Mission Karlsruhe (Anglican) 0721 28379 (Fax also)Rev. Dr. Hanns Engelhardt,www.staugustines-wiesbaden.de/karlsruhe.htm, [email protected] Chapel Freiburg e.V.0761 7071333 David Pham,www.ccfreiburg.deAnglican Church of Freiburg 0761 904693 Minister Rev RobinStockitt, Katharinenstraße 9,www.anglicans-fr.orgEnglish Church HeidelbergErlöserkirche, Plöck/Schießtorstraße06221 804146
Movie Theaters
Corso, Stuttgart-Vaihingen0711 734916, Hauptstraße 6,www.corso-kino.deCinemaxX Bosch-Areal, Stuttgart 0711 22007979, www.cinemaxx.deKommunales Kino Stuttgart0711 221320, Friedrichstraße 23A,www.koki.de / filmhaus Kommunales Kino Esslingen0711 310595, Maille 5, www.koki-es.de Schauburg Filmtheater KarlsruheMarienstraße 16, www.schauburg.de
accents magazine24 accents guide
Read accents guide onwww.accents-magazine.de
British Chamber of Commerce in Germany
Coming Events
StuttgarterAbend-Event withMr Erwin Staudt, PresidentVFB Stuttgart 1893 e.V. Topic “VfB Stuttgart, the underestimated economicpower in B-W“, Nov 11, 6 pm
BCCG / Ernst & YoungSeminar Topic “The EnglishLtd. - Is the GmbH outdated?“Nov 21, 5 - 8 pm
Internationales UnternehmerForum with State SecretaryDr Horst Mehrländer, B-WMinistry of Economics. Topic“Public Private Partnership“Dec 7, 18:30 pm
BCCG New Year’s Receptionwith the former State PrimeMinister Erwin Teufel,Jan 12, 6 pm
Visit www.bccg.de to sign-up for all events orcontact Ralf Steppat, Regional CommitteeChairman, 07032 918334, [email protected]
Good to Know
Money Matters
Germany needs more students
Germany doesn’t have a great track
record when it comes to numbers of
people entering post-secondary school
education.
Each year, only 37.5% of Germans whocould study at a college or a universitychoose to do so. That’s well under theaverage of 51% for other industrialisedcountries. In view of the decreasing birthrate and the increasing demands of indu-stry for highly-qualified workers, it’s crucialfor Germany’s competitiveness in the globalized economy that the talents of itsyoung people be fully utilised and thatmore of them complete college or univer-sity studies.
Studying, however, is not cheap. Thefederal government estimates that a uni-versity degree costs each student 40,000euros, on average. The bulk of this amountis taken up by a student’s day-to-day or‘living’ expenses – accommodation, foodand so on. In Germany, it’s mostly a stu-dent’s parents who cover these costs. Andnone of these calculations include the costof tuition fees.
At the start of this year, the Federal Con-stitutional Court ruled that state govern-ments now have the right to introduce feesfor anyone undertaking university study. In light of the budgetary difficulties facingGermany’s state governments, it’s only amatter of time before public colleges anduniversities introduce tuition fees. Thestate will then be obliged to ensure thatthese fees do not lead to more social inequality and that post-secondary studyremains an option for children from low-income families.
Banks can also demonstrate some socialresponsibility in this regard. Many bankshaven’t even begun making – or are onlynow drawing up – plans to deal with finan-cing a college or university education. Afew banks in Germany (among them, SEB)have already developed a model for finan-cing the payment of tuition fees. “Studynow – pay later” is the central idea of a“Study Financing” agreement. The bankpays the balance of tuition fees (whichmust be at least 2,500 euros) and the stu-dent is required to pay only the interest on the loan while they’re still studying.
Repayments begin only a year after thecompletion of a diploma or degree. SEB,for example, has already implemented thisfinancing model in co-operation agreementswith around 20 private universities and colleges, ranging from colleges for physio-therapy and make-up artistry to renownedbusiness schools.
Written by Günther Spieth, SEB Bank, for
accents magazine. With over five million
customers and 20,000 employees, SEB is
one of the biggest financial service provid-
ers in northern Europe. www.seb.de
Every year during Advent Stuttgart trans-forms itself into a twinkling Christmascity. The Stuttgart Christmas Market,with around 250 wonderfully decoratedstands, counts as among the biggest andmost beautiful of Europe’s Christmasmarkets. The glittering lights, the scentof Glühwein (hot, spiced wine) cinnamonand vanilla, the concerts in the Renais-sance courtyard of the Old Palace, thewooden stands meticulously decoratedwith angels, fir-tree branches and Christ-mas-tree balls, and the “Fairy Tale Land”
in the Schlossplatz all create a magicalChristmas atmosphere and attract millionsof excited visitors to Stuttgart every year.It runs this year from November 25 till
December 23 (10 am - 9 pm weekdays and Saturdays, 11 am - 9 pm Sundays.)
Use a visit to the Christmas Market to have a look at what else Stuttgart has to offer at this time of the year. The Staatsgalerie, for example, has awonderful exhibition “The Discovery of
Landscape – Masterworks of Dutch Art
of the 16th and 17th Centuries.” Thenew Kunstmuseum presents “Retro-
spective of the Swiss Artist Max Bill.”
It includes more than 200 objects from the artistic fields of architecture,sculpture, design, painting and graphics.
A tip for wine lovers: on Sunday, November 20, Stuttgart Marketing,together with the city’s winemakers, ishosting an exclusive tasting of qualityStuttgart wines. The Stuttgart’s Best
Wines event takes place (11 am - 7 pm)in the stately König Karl Hall of the Hausder Wirtschaft – for the first time as partof the Stuttgart Book Weeks. Tickets canbe pre-purchased at the “i-Punkt” for 13euros, or on the day of the wine-tastingat the Haus der Wirtschaft for 15 euros.Tickets and info
Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH
Tourist Information ‘i-Punkt’
Königstraße 1A, 70173 Stuttgart
Tel 0711 2228-0, Fax 0711 2228-253
Christmas City
Stuttgart transformed
Send your comments and questions to:Günther Spieth, Director, SEB Bank Stuttgart. Email:[email protected]
Photos, from
left to right: Christm
as Market entrance, K
unstmuseum
, Best W
ines guide
Good to Know 25accents magazine
Labyrinth
Germany’s kindergarten and schooling
system can take some getting used to
if you’re a young parent from an English-
speaking country. The biggest adjust-
ment involves getting used to the hours.
German kids, it seems, are morning
learners who need a home-cooked lunch
and loads of free time in the afternoon.
Every child from the age of three has a legal right to a place in a kindergarten.Most kindergartens offer half-day care(mornings until noon or shortly after.) A place in an all-day child-care centre –known as a Kindertagesstätte or Kita – isnot a legal right and is harder to find. (It’sbest to get a child placed on a waiting listfor a Kita soon after they’re born if bothparents want to keep working full time.)Kindergartens and Kitas are run mostly by city governments and churches, andparents have to pay some of the costs. Theamount depends on the parents’ income.Kitas provide a midday meal for children.Kindergarten kids are meant to bring asnack with them – there’s often no provi-sion for serving lunch, as children arepicked up shortly after the middle of theday. If you would like your child to become
integrated into German society, a kinder-garten placement is probably the best wayto allow him or her to become more fluentin German if they’ve largely grown up in anEnglish-speaking household.
Primary (or elementary) schooling gene-rally begins when your child turns 6. Thereare four years of primary school in Baden-Württemberg. Your children will bring homemore homework than you’d expect fromschools in English-speaking countries –maybe this is to compensate for them getting off at midday or just after! If you,as parents, need to work beyond normalschool hours, you’ll have to find what’sknown as a Hort or after-school child-carein your local area.
Primary school becomes quite challeng-ing and competitive in the third and fourthyears because afterwards – at just 10 yearsof age – children in Baden-Württemberg are streamed into a three-tiered high schoolsystem based on their academic achieve-ments. Despite accusations that a child’sacademic future is decided way too earlythe system is not under any threat of beingtoppled. Although a child can progress from a ‘lower’ high school to the next toeventually gain their Abitur (leaving certifi-
cate) and thereby gain entry to university, it doesn’t happen too often.
The good news is that education is freeto children of expatriates. Of course, clas-ses are conducted in German. This is finefor school beginners but becomes more difficult as a child gets older. Internationalschools, in which the language of instruc-tion is English, are an option for older child-ren or for school-age children who are notfluent in German.
Morning learners
Kindergarten and early schooling
By Liz Gaiser
My first child, Alexander, was my guineapig for the dos and don’ts of German kindergartens. His polyester glow-in-the-dark Sponge Bob slippers made quite an impression on the other children, butnot on the adults. In fact, they caused a rebellion among the kids. Suddenly,everyone in kindergarten wanted to getrid of their pure-wool slippers and wearcartoon-character footwear instead. TheAmerican mother lost popularity pointsthat day.
The next problem involved gettingsomething decent to drink. Was it onlymy son’s kindergarten that served fresh-brewed fruit tea to kids? With no sugar?My son was caught pouring his tea downthe drain and helping himself to a simpleglass of tap water. However, Germans(apparently) don’t trust their tap water, so the kindergarten (seemingly) solved
the problem by buying one of those ever-popular soda machines with which youcarbonate the water yourself. Although,isn’t soda-machine water technically justtap water?
In American pre-schools you pack yourkid a few cookies or crackers for a snack.I thought I was upping the nutritionalvalue by packing a Milchschnitte, whichcontains chocolate. The commercial does say it contains a full portion of milk.However, it was suggested I make myson a sandwich instead. I was eager to fitin, especially after the slipper rebellion, so I packed him a peanut butter-and-jellysandwich. Once again, the Americanswere the talk of the kindergarten. Peanutbutter was unusual enough but to put ittogether with jelly (or jam, as non-Ameri-cans call it) actually disgusted everyone.So the next day I made my son a hamsandwich. This time, the mayonnaise and mustard dressing on the bread was
the snack-time attraction. When I lookedat the other children’s snacks, I noticedthey all had whole-grain bread. I had beenusing white toast-bread which, I admit,has about as much nutritional value asthe plastic in Alexander’s slippers. But itgets worse. All the other kids had air-tight Tupperware containers. I was usingplastic wrap or tin-foil and putting it all ina paper bag. A new one each day. Andthis in a country with four different-colo-red trash cans.
My second child started his first day of kindergarten with top-of-the-line woolslippers. And he had two Tupperwarecontainers. One with wedges of organi-cally-grown apples and the other with a whole-grain bread-and-butter sandwich.Alas, most of the contents ended up inthe brown trash can at home, after kin-dergarten. He wanted a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich instead. And a glass oftap water.
How to really stand out in kindergarten
accents magazine26 Labyrinth
“What should I eatnow?“ Snack timein kindergartenrequires tough deci-sions.
Photo: C
hrys Rynearson
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SubscribeMy Two Cents
By Katharine A. Schmidt
Holidays? Vacation? A public holiday? A bank holiday? Sometimes even nativeEnglish speakers get confused when theyhear these terms.
Generally, when Americans use theexpression “the holidays“ they’re talkingabout the series of religious and culturalcelebrations, with corresponding days off,stretching from the day after Thanksgiving,at the end of November, until New Year’sDay. Other English speakers use the term“holidays” more broadly, to mean not onlydesignated days off work at Christmas,Easter and so on, but also blocks of timeoff work to go away somewhere. They “goon holidays” to Spain or go on a “skiingholiday.” Kids also have “school holidays.”In contrast, Americans use the word “vaca-tion,” to describe the idea of going awaysomewhere or to denote a block of school-free days (summer vacation, Christmasvacation). And a bank holiday? This is whatGermans call a Feiertag. However, “bankholiday” is really only used in Britain andIreland. Most other English speakers say“public holiday.”
Some language purists grit their teeth atthe rather bland phrase “Happy Holidays.” I can sympathize because the expression
does lack the essential good cheer asso-ciated with saying, for example, “MerryChristmas.” But the phrase does have its place in a multicultural society – forinstance, on those cards that businessessend out to loyal customers. Among friendsand colleagues there are better alterna-tives. It’s more personal to wish someone“Happy Hanukkah” or “Merry Christmas”where applicable. Just please don’t think of saying “Season’s Greetings” which istoo impersonal for anything but a business“holiday” card!
One more seasonal question has been drawn to my attention: where does“Boxing Day” come from? In the UK andits former dominions this is December 26,the day after Christmas Day. For years, I’veharbored an image of sated Brits rousingthemselves after a day of feasting to crowd around a pair of hard-core pugilists,waiting for a knockout. In fact, I discoveredit actually relates to the former custom ofgiving gift boxes to employees. I detecthere a good whiff of Christmas commer-cialism, but if “Boxing Day” gave workersan extra day off, I won’t play Scrooge onthis one. Here’s wishing everyone a restfulset of days off, and a Happy New Year!
Comments, questions, and suggestions to
or accents magazine, Libanonstraße 58,
70184 Stuttgart
